Approval rates
This table displays the approval rate for Richard P. McCully based on his record since 2016. These figures are compared against the range of other judges who have decided cases at the Atlanta North office in the most recent SSA data. With 655 total decisions on record, this data provides a view of past activity. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your hearing.
Judge McCully is not in SSA's latest disposition file, so there is no 12-month figure. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 29, 2017. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Judge McCully isn't in SSA's latest disposition file, so the judge comparison tool, which compares active judges over the same 12 months, leaves them out.
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
Richard P. McCully's record spans 655 decisions from 2016 through 2017. In 2016, the approval rate was 86% over 408 decisions, followed by 82% over 365 decisions in 2017. These figures represent the entirety of the judge's available data on record.
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.
About the Atlanta North hearing office
The Atlanta North Hearing Office serves you in Georgia and the surrounding region. There are 24 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with the last recorded decision for Richard P. McCully here occurring in September 2017. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process at this location.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Atlanta North
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Approval rates vary across the office's bench, with the 6 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file ranging from 24% to 61% on their since-2016 records. There are 24 judges whose most recent office on record is this one.
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
Richard P. McCully's 84% approval rate on record through 2017 sits above the 24% to 61% range observed among the 6 judges who decided cases at this office in the most recent SSA file. An attorney can help you understand how these differences might impact your case preparation.
Richard P. McCully's approval rate was 86% in 2016 and 82% in 2017. These figures reflect the 655 total decisions on record for the judge. An attorney can help you evaluate your claim regardless of these historical trends.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your success depends on the medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to support your claim.
