Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same timeframe to ensure accuracy. Gwen Hurley has a 43% approval rate on record since 2017, which sits within the 23% to 86% range observed among the 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office. This docket of 648 decisions provides a stable view of past activity. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Hurley. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 27, 2019. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
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
Gwen Hurley decided 648 cases between November 2017 and September 2019. Her approval rate moved from 44% in 2018 to 41% in 2019. This pattern reflects a steady approach to case evaluation over the period recorded. Because case assignment is random, this trend provides context for how evidence is weighed, though every claim remains unique.
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 Atlanta Downtown hearing office
Gwen Hurley's most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office, with decisions there through September 2019. This office serves claimants across Georgia and is part of a broader regional network. With 22 judges on the bench, the office maintains a variety of decision patterns. 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, with approval rates ranging from 23% to 86%. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
Gwen Hurley has a 43% approval rate on record since 2017. This falls within the 23% to 86% range of the 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare your case for this specific bench.
Gwen Hurley's approval rate was 44% in 2018 and 41% in 2019. This indicates a steady pattern across her 648 decisions on record. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific medical evidence.
No. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. You cannot choose your judge, but an attorney can help you prepare for the hearing regardless of who is assigned.
A hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. An attorney can help you organize your evidence and prepare for the questions the judge may ask.
The 43% approval rate on record for Gwen Hurley describes past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. Every case is different, and an attorney can help you build a strong case based on your unique medical and vocational circumstances.
