Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent data windows. The 23% approval rate for Brendan F. Flanagan covers all decisions on record since 2016. This is set against the range of 23% to 86% seen among the 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Flanagan. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 26, 2025. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Flanagan'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 approval rate for Brendan F. Flanagan has fluctuated across the 2,423 decisions on record since 2016. After a period of relative stability between 2016 and 2020, the data shows a decline in 2021, followed by a period of lower approval rates that have remained consistent through the most recent data.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Flanagan'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
Brendan F. Flanagan's most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office, which serves you if you are in Georgia. With 22 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, the bench brings diverse experience to the hearing process. You can see the Atlanta Downtown hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Atlanta Downtown
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office, and their approval rates vary significantly, ranging from 23% to 86% on their since-2016 records.
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
Brendan F. Flanagan has an approval rate of 23% based on 2,423 decisions on record since 2016. This is at the lower end of the 23% to 86% range observed among the 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office. An attorney can help you understand how to present your medical evidence effectively regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
The approval rate for Brendan F. Flanagan has seen shifts over the years, moving from 28% in 2016 to 22% in 2025. The data shows a notable change in 2021, after which the rate has remained in a lower range. An attorney can help you evaluate how these historical trends might relate to the specific evidence in your claim.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because the assignment is random, it is important to be prepared for any judge by having a complete and well-documented medical file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of your hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You, your attorney, and often a vocational expert or medical expert will be present to discuss your ability to perform work. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific questions you are likely to face during this process.
