Approval rates
This table displays the approval rate for Glenn M. Embree compared to the bench at the Atlanta Downtown hearing office. These figures are based on the total number of decisions on record since 2016. The data reflects a volume of 2,256 decisions, which helps establish a statistical baseline for this profile. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Judge Embree is not in SSA's latest disposition file, so there is no 12-month figure. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 24, 2021. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Judge Embree isn't in SSA's latest disposition file, so the judge comparison tool, which compares active judges over the same 12 months, leaves them out.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Embree'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
Glenn M. Embree's approval rate is calculated from 2,256 decisions on record between 2016 and 2021. The yearly trend shows an approval rate of 89% in 2016, 87% in 2017, 89% in 2018, 86% in 2019, 84% in 2020, and 74% in 2021.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Embree'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 Atlanta Downtown hearing office
The Atlanta Downtown hearing office serves you if you are in the region. There are 22 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with the last recorded decision for Glenn M. Embree at this location occurring in September 2021. You can expect a standard hearing process at this office, where your evidence and testimony are evaluated against federal disability criteria. See the Atlanta Downtown hearing office page for the full roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Atlanta Downtown
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Approval rates vary across the office's bench, with the 9 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file ranging from 47% to 70% on their since-2016 records. There are 22 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, 9 of whom decided cases here in SSA's latest file. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
Glenn M. Embree's 86% approval rate on record since 2016 sits above the 47% to 70% range of the 9 judges who decided cases at the Atlanta Downtown office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you understand how these historical rates may relate to your specific case.
The approval rate for Glenn M. Embree was 89% in 2016, 87% in 2017, 89% in 2018, 86% in 2019, 84% in 2020, and 74% in 2021. While these past figures provide context, they do not dictate the outcome of your hearing. A qualified attorney can help you prepare your evidence regardless of the judge's historical patterns.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because assignment is random, it is important to be prepared for any judge. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and is not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your case outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you organize your case to ensure the strongest possible presentation.
