Approval rates
Judge Thawley's lifetime approval rate of 75% is calculated from 19,067 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the judge reached an approval rate of 91%, which stands 17 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures highlight how individual judicial patterns can diverge from broader office and state benchmarks. 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 Thawley'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 10-year tenure, your approval trend for Judge Thawley has shown an upward trajectory. Starting at 69% in 2016, the rate has climbed, reaching 91% in the most recent 2025 reporting period. This shift reflects a consistent pattern in how evidence is weighed within this courtroom. The recent uptick represents a continuation of this steady pattern, distinguishing the judge's current output from earlier years on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Thawley'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 Thawley? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fayetteville NC hearing office
The Fayetteville NC hearing office serves a significant volume of claimants across North Carolina. With a bench of 6 judges, this office manages a high caseload typical of regional centers. The office-wide approval rate currently sits at 66%, providing a local context for your hearing. You can visit the Fayetteville NC Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the assignment of a judge is essentially random. Within the Fayetteville NC hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 47% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, 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.