Approval rates
John A. Thawley has an approval rate of 75% across 3,223 decisions on record since 2016. In the latest reporting period, the approval rate was 83%, which is 18 percentage points higher than the 65% office-wide average for the same period.
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
The approval trend for John A. Thawley has shifted over the 3,223 decisions on record since 2016. The approval rate was 64% in 2016 and reached 90% in 2025. The latest-period approval rate of 83% reflects the most recent activity in the docket.
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.
About the Fayetteville NC hearing office
John A. Thawley's most recent office on record is the Fayetteville NC hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office maintains a bench of 7 judges. With an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 65%, you can expect a review of your medical and vocational evidence.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Fayetteville NC
The Social Security Administration assigns cases randomly. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is the Fayetteville NC hearing office. Approval rates among this bench range from 35% to 78% on their since-2016 records.
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
John A. Thawley's latest-period approval rate of 83% is 18 percentage points higher than the 65% average for the Fayetteville NC hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare your case specifically for the standards of this bench.
Yes, the approval rate for John A. Thawley has trended from 64% in 2016 to 90% in 2025. An attorney can help you build a stronger case for your hearing.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. An attorney can help you prepare for the hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An SSDI hearing is a formal proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. Having an attorney can help you organize your evidence and prepare your testimony to meet the judge's expectations.
The 75% approval rate on record since 2016 provides context on past decisions, but it is not a prediction for your specific hearing. An attorney can help you identify the specific evidence needed to support your claim.
