Approval rates
Judge Uren has issued 10,810 lifetime decisions during her 7 years on the bench. Her approval rate is currently 6 percentage points below the Macon Hearing Office average and 16 percentage points below the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding her historical decision-making, though they do not predict the outcome of your specific case.
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 Uren'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 her tenure, Judge Uren's approval rate has shown fluctuations. After starting with a 53% approval rate in 2016, the data indicates a period of change, reaching 34% in 2020. More recent reporting shows a rate of 46% in 2022. These patterns reflect how judges adjust to changes in case mix and evidence requirements over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Uren'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 Uren? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Macon hearing office
The Macon Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across central Georgia as part of a regional network managing disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 48%. You can find more information regarding the office roster on the Macon Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Macon Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment is effectively random. The 6 judges at this office demonstrate a wide range of approval rates, spanning from 30% to 65% over their respective careers. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is critical regardless of your assignment.
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.