Approval rates
When reviewing the approval rates for Michael E. Finnie, it is helpful to compare his performance against the broader bench at his most recent office. Judges whose most recent office on record is Franklin TN show a range of approval rates from 29% to 76% since 2016. In the latest reporting period, your judge's approval rate was 48%, which is 7 percentage points below the office average of 55%.
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 Finnie'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
The data for Michael E. Finnie covers 3,526 decisions since 2016. His approval rate has fluctuated over this period, with a low of 33% in 2021 and a partial 2026 rate of 46%. While his latest-period approval rate of 48% shows a divergence from his long-term average, the yearly trend indicates a return to levels seen earlier in the decade.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Finnie'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 Franklin TN hearing office
The most recent office on record for Michael E. Finnie is the Franklin TN hearing office, with records extending through July 2026. This office serves claimants across the region and maintains a bench of 14 judges. The office-wide approval rate in the latest period was 55%, providing a benchmark for the local hearing environment.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Franklin TN
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is assigned randomly. There are 14 judges whose most recent office on record is Franklin TN, and 10 of them decided cases in the latest file from July 2026. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 29% to 76% on their records since 2016.
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
Michael E. Finnie has an approval rate of 43% since 2016, while the bench at the Franklin TN office ranges from 29% to 76%. In the latest reporting period, his 48% approval rate is 7 percentage points lower than the office average of 55%. An attorney can help you understand how these differences might impact your specific case strategy.
Yes, the approval rate for Michael E. Finnie has seen shifts, moving from 46% in 2016 to a low of 33% in 2021, before reaching 46% in the partial 2026 data. These fluctuations are common and often relate to changes in case evidence or legal standards. An attorney can help you prepare for a hearing regardless of these historical trends.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration uses a random, workload-based algorithm to assign cases to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot control the assignment, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare for your hearing. An attorney can help you prepare for this process.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You may be asked questions about your daily limitations and work history by the judge or a vocational expert. Having an attorney present can help ensure your testimony clearly addresses the specific requirements for disability benefits.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions, not a guarantee of how Michael E. Finnie will rule on your specific claim. While the 43% rate since 2016 provides context, the outcome of your hearing depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence. An attorney can help you organize your records to present the strongest possible case.
