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Atlanta Downtown Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Georgia · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

62.8%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

8 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

285 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,987

awaiting hearing

ALJs

16

active judges

Atlanta Downtown ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics

Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.

Judge Approval Rate Denial Rate Fully Favorable Total Decisions Dispositions
Boyce Crocker 100% N/A 100% 1 1
Raymond Rodgers 100% N/A 100% 2 2
Laura G McHenry 88% 12% 82.5% 166 212
S. Charles Murray 80.8% 19.2% 77.4% 266 324
Stacy Gray 74.5% 25.5% 59.6% 47 57
J. S Childs 73.2% 26.8% 69.8% 291 358
Hilton R Miller 73.1% 26.9% 64.3% 305 387
Suzanne A Littlefield 71.6% 28.4% 66.8% 190 224
Grant Dail 60.9% 39.1% 46.4% 151 188
Ucheakpunwa Egemonye 60.4% 39.6% 38.5% 369 431
Raymond M Lykins 59.2% 40.8% 49.4% 316 376
Melinda L Dula 55.6% 44.4% 44.4% 18 22
Carla McMichael 53.1% 46.9% 47.4% 194 231
Lisa B Bentley 47.5% 52.5% 32.7% 297 354
Brendan F Flanagan 22.1% 77.9% 10.5% 95 126
Christopher Messina N/A 100% N/A 3 12

About the Atlanta Downtown Social Security Hearing Office

The Social Security Administration operates the Atlanta Downtown hearing office in Georgia as part of its Office of Hearings Operations. Located in SSA Region 04, 16 Administrative Law Judges conduct disability hearings at this location. With 16 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.

The office's average approval rate is 62.8%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. This figure combines both fully favorable and partially favorable outcomes from all judges at the office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 0% to 100%, a 100-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 285 days. There are currently 1,987 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 124 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 55.6%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.

How to Interpret Atlanta Downtown Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Atlanta Downtown, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.

With an average wait time of 8 months and 285 days average processing time, claimants at Atlanta Downtown can expect a total timeline of roughly 18 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Atlanta Downtown have collectively issued 2,711 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 169 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 369 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Atlanta Downtown Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Atlanta Downtown?
The average ALJ approval rate at Atlanta Downtown is 62.8% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 55.6%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Atlanta Downtown?
The Atlanta Downtown office has 16 administrative law judges. Of these, 11 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 1 to 369 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Atlanta Downtown?
The current average wait time at Atlanta Downtown is 8 months. This is comparable to the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 285 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 18 months. Wait time averages reflect the most recently reported SSA data and will evolve as new disposition reports are released.
How is office data calculated?
With 16 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. Source data comes from the Social Security Administration's public reporting on ALJ decisions, which we incorporate as updates are released.
What percentage of approvals at Atlanta Downtown are fully favorable?
"Fully favorable" means the claimant receives benefits effective from their originally claimed onset date. "Partially favorable" also grants benefits but may start them from a later date. Both decisions are counted as approvals in the statistics. The onset date difference can significantly affect the total retroactive benefit amount. At Atlanta Downtown, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 55.6%.
How does Atlanta Downtown rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 5 hearing offices in Georgia, Atlanta Downtown ranks 2 of 5 with an approval rate of 62.8%. In terms of wait time, Atlanta Downtown ranks 4 of 5 (8 months). Visit the Georgia overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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