Approval rates
Comparing Francis Hurley's 65% approval rate against the local bench provides context for how your hearing may proceed. The judges whose most recent office on record is Boston show a wide range of approval rates, spanning from 37% to 75% since 2016. In the most recent reporting period, Francis Hurley maintained a 67% approval rate, which sits 13 points above the Boston office's latest-period average of 54%.
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 Hurley'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
Since 2016, Francis Hurley has issued 2,843 decisions with a generally steady approval trend. While yearly figures have fluctuated—ranging from a low of 61% in 2021 to a high of 72% in 2024—the performance remains consistent with the long-term average. The most recent period shows a 67% approval rate, which aligns closely with the historical record. This pattern suggests a stable approach to evaluating evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hurley'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 Boston hearing office
The Boston hearing office serves you if you are in Massachusetts and the surrounding region. With 15 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, it manages a significant volume of disability hearings. The office-wide approval rate in the latest period was 54%, which provides a baseline for the local administrative environment.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Boston
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 15 judges whose most recent office on record is the Boston hearing office, and 6 of them decided cases here in the latest file from July 2026. Because approval rates across this bench vary from 37% to 75%, understanding the local landscape is useful.
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
Francis Hurley's 65% approval rate since 2016 is situated within the 37% to 75% range observed among the 15 judges whose most recent office on record is Boston. In the latest reporting period, Francis Hurley's 67% approval rate outperformed the Boston office average of 54%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this courtroom.
The approval rate has remained relatively steady over the years, with 2,843 decisions on record since 2016. While there was a peak of 72% in 2024 and a dip to 61% in 2021, the most recent 67% rate is consistent with the long-term average. If you are concerned about how these trends affect your claim, an attorney can help you evaluate your evidence.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency across the Boston hearing office. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to be prepared for any outcome with a strong case, which an attorney can help you build.
An approval rate is a probability cloud based on past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. While the 65% rate since 2016 provides context, the success of your claim depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible before your hearing.
