Approval rates
Judge Henry has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 40% over an 8-year tenure. This figure is compared against the latest Atlanta North office approval rate of 49% and the national average of 58%. These statistics are derived from a docket of 5,523 lifetime decisions. These rates reflect historical patterns rather than 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 Henry'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 Judge Henry has fluctuated throughout an 8-year career. After an initial year in 2018 with a 53% approval rate, the data reflects a period of adjustment before stabilizing. The most recent reporting period shows a 25% approval rate, which represents a deviation from the lifetime average. This trend pattern suggests that current decision-making may be influenced by shifts in case volume or specific evidentiary requirements.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Henry'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 Henry? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Atlanta North hearing office
The Atlanta North Hearing Office serves a significant population across Georgia and the surrounding region. It is one of the busier offices in the area, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 49%, reflecting the local administrative environment. You can see the Atlanta North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is effectively random. Within the Atlanta North Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 22% to 62%. This variance highlights why focusing on your own medical documentation is essential regardless of the specific judge assigned. You can view the full office roster on the Atlanta North 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.