Approval rates
Judge McCully maintains a lifetime approval rate of 84% based on 4,063 lifetime decisions. This judge consistently trends above the Atlanta North Hearing Office average of 49% and the national average of 58%. This data is derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable view of past judicial activity. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not 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 McCully'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 a 2-year tenure, your approval rate for Judge McCully has remained high. With 4,063 lifetime decisions, the data reflects a consistent approach to evaluating your disability claims. While the rate shifted from 86% in 2016 to 83% in 2017, the overall volume remains robust. This trend suggests a stable decision-making environment that has maintained a high allowance rate throughout the judge's time on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McCully'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 McCully? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Atlanta North hearing office
The Atlanta North Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across Georgia, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 49%, which serves as a baseline for the region. You can expect a formal process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Atlanta North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge assigned to your hearing is effectively random. Within the Atlanta North Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 22% to 84%. This variance highlights why understanding the local judicial landscape is important for your preparation. You can find more information on the office's general operations 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.