Approval rates
The following table compares the approval rate of L. Ellis Davis to the broader office, state, and national benchmarks over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. These figures provide context for recent activity based on 436 total decisions in the window. The data reflects a significant volume of cases, offering a view of recent trends.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Davis's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Since 2016, L. Ellis Davis has issued 3,764 decisions. The yearly approval rate has fluctuated over this period, reaching a high of 78% in 2022 and a low of 60% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. The most recent 12-month approval rate of 61% is lower than the 69% approval rate recorded since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Davis's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
About the Covington GA hearing office
The Covington GA hearing office maintains a bench of 15 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, the office maintained an approval rate of 65%. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Covington GA
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 8 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 48% to 88% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. There are 15 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, 8 of whom decided cases in the latest file.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Davis's 61%. All five last decided cases in Georgia.
- 61% Approval rate, last 12 months Todd S. Colarusso
- 60% Approval rate, last 12 months David Cornelius
- 62% Approval rate, last 12 months Laurie A. Bedell
- 62% Approval rate, last 12 months Christine A. Guard
- 59% Approval rate, last 12 months Raymond M. Lykins
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Davis and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, L. Ellis Davis's 61% approval rate sits within the 48% to 88% range observed among the 8 judges who decided cases at the Covington GA office in the latest SSA file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
L. Ellis Davis has a 69% approval rate across 3,764 decisions since 2016. While the rate has varied year-to-year, the 61% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, is lower than the long-term average. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your case.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency across the hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical evidence and hears testimony. You may be questioned by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform work. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and ensure your medical records are complete.
