Approval rates
Judge Hill maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60% based on 18,740 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 57%, which compares to the Charlotte Hearing Office average of 72% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for his bench activity over the last 9 years. You can find more information on the Charlotte Hearing Office page.
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 Hill'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 9-year tenure, Judge Hill has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After an initial high of 81% in 2017, the rate adjusted and has remained between 50% and 55% in recent years. This pattern suggests a consistent approach to evaluating evidence in the current case mix. The latest period reflects a continuation of this stable trend, providing a clear view of his long-term decision-making habits.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hill'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 Macon hearing office
The Charlotte Hearing Office serves a large population in North Carolina and operates with a bench of 6 judges. You will encounter a high volume of cases here, and the office maintains an approval rate that reflects the regional caseload. Understanding the local environment is a key step in your hearing journey. You can visit the Charlotte 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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Charlotte Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 28% to 78%. This variance highlights why every case requires a unique strategy regardless of the assigned judge. You can view the full roster of judges at the Charlotte Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically 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.