Approval rates
Judge Murray's approval rate is evaluated by comparing his lifetime performance against the latest office and national benchmarks. With a docket of 22,531 lifetime decisions, the data provides a clear view of his historical decision-making tendencies. In the most recent reporting period, his 81% approval rate outperformed the Atlanta Downtown office average of 64% and the national average of 58%. These 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 Murray'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 10-year tenure, Judge Murray has shown an upward trend in his approval rates. After a period of stability between 2016 and 2022, where rates fluctuated between 58% and 68%, the last three years have seen a notable increase in approvals. His most recent performance of 81% marks a departure from his lifetime average of 66%. This recent shift may reflect changes in the types of cases assigned or the quality of evidence presented in recent hearings.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Murray'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 Murray? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Atlanta Downtown hearing office
The Atlanta Downtown Hearing Office serves a large population across Georgia, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 64%, which is higher than the state and national averages of 58%. If you are appearing here, you should expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of medical records and vocational testimony. You can visit the Atlanta Downtown 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 your assignment is essentially random. The bench at the Atlanta Downtown office is diverse, with lifetime approval rates for the 6 judges ranging from 23% to 86%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent 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.