Approval rates
Comparing approval rates provides context for how a judge's decisions align with broader trends. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge McHenry's 89% approval rate is measured against the 69% office average, 57% state average, and 58% national average. These figures are based on a significant volume of decisions, providing a look at past activity. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge McHenry'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 December 2017, Judge McHenry has issued 2,390 decisions. The yearly trend shows a period of growth in approval rates, moving from 64% in 2018 to 87% in 2020, before maintaining a consistent level of activity in recent years. The most recent 12 months sit above the 82% approval rate recorded since 2017.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McHenry'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 Chattanooga hearing office
The Chattanooga hearing office serves you and other claimants across Tennessee and the surrounding region. There are 16 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, with 7 of them having decided cases in SSA's latest file as of July 2026. The office maintained a 69% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Chattanooga
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 16 judges whose most recent office on record is Chattanooga, 7 decided cases here in SSA's latest file and range from 53% to 89% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. For your preparation, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge McHenry's 89%. One of them last decided cases in Tennessee. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's Atlanta region.
- 84% Approval rate, last 12 months John E. Case
- 89% Approval rate, last 12 months Brent T. Asseff
- 88% Approval rate, last 12 months Ben E. Sheely
- 88% Approval rate, last 12 months Melinda McIntyre
- 86% Approval rate, last 12 months James S. Elkins
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge McHenry and the three closest side by side →
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
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge McHenry's 89% approval rate sits at the top of the range for the 7 judges in the Chattanooga hearing office's latest file, who collectively range from 53% to 89%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific bench you are assigned.
Judge McHenry has an 82% approval rate across 2,390 decisions on record since 2017. Her approval rate has fluctuated over this period, with the most recent 12-month window of 89% sitting above her long-term average. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your case.
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 reflection of a judge's past decisions and is not a prediction of how they will rule on your specific claim. Your outcome depends on the evidence you present and how it meets the legal requirements for disability. An attorney can help you gather the necessary medical evidence to support your claim.
