Approval rates
Michael McKenna maintains a lifetime approval rate of 32% based on 10,946 lifetime decisions. When comparing his most recent reporting period to the broader landscape, his rate sits 28 percentage points below the Hartford Hearing Office average of 60%. These figures represent a significant volume of cases, providing a stable look at his historical decision-making. 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 McKenna'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 his 7 years on the bench, Michael McKenna has seen a notable shift in his approval trends. Early in his tenure, his annual approval rates were higher, hovering around 52% to 53% in 2016 and 2017. Following this period, the data shows a decline, with annual rates moving into the 13% to 31% range in subsequent years. This pattern reflects a consistent approach to case evaluation over a large volume of 10,946 lifetime decisions. The recent trend indicates a steady, lower-frequency approval pattern compared to his initial years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McKenna'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 McKenna? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Hartford hearing office
The Hartford Hearing Office serves you throughout Connecticut and parts of the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of 6 ALJs who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 60%, which is higher than the national average. You can visit the Hartford Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the assignment is essentially random. Within the Hartford Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 32% to 56%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.