Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Michael Dennard maintains a lifetime approval rate of 50% based on 20,130 decisions, while the latest reporting period shows a 58% approval rate. This latest figure is 2 percentage points below the Savannah office average and 8 points below the national average. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Dennard'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
Over his 10 years on the bench, Michael Dennard has navigated a shifting caseload. After an initial period of higher approval rates in 2016, the data shows a period of stabilization followed by a recent increase in approvals, with the 2025 rate reaching 57%. This recent trend suggests a shift in the types of cases or evidence presented in his courtroom. These patterns help illustrate his long-term approach to evaluating disability claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dennard'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.
Hearing with Judge Dennard? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Savannah hearing office
The Savannah Hearing Office serves you across Georgia, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 52%, reflecting the complex nature of disability claims in this region. You can expect a formal environment where medical evidence and vocational testimony are prioritized. You can see the Savannah Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is selected randomly. Within the Savannah office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 37% to 73%. This variance highlights that the specific judge assigned to your case is a significant variable in the hearing process. You can find more information on the Savannah Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.