Atlanta North Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Georgia · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
50.1%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
6 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
197 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,000
awaiting hearing
ALJs
9
active judges
Atlanta North 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey C Narvil | 100% | N/A | 50% | 2 | 3 |
| Sheila Lowther | 75% | 25% | 50% | 4 | 5 |
| Laurie Bedell | 66% | 34% | 59.9% | 329 | 383 |
| Todd Colarusso | 56.8% | 43.2% | 49.2% | 380 | 444 |
| James Conlon | 52.9% | 47.1% | 46.1% | 297 | 368 |
| Gregory Fons | 35.2% | 64.8% | 26.7% | 330 | 392 |
| William Callahan | 33.3% | 66.7% | 23.9% | 243 | 298 |
| Cynthia G Weaver | 29.3% | 70.7% | 22% | 82 | 108 |
| Tracy Henry | 25% | 75% | N/A | 4 | 4 |
About the Atlanta North Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Atlanta North service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Georgia. The office is assigned to SSA Region 04 and has 9 active ALJs.
The office's average approval rate is 50.1%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. This rate is shaped by the interplay of case characteristics, local representation patterns, and individual judge decision tendencies. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 25% to 100%, a 75-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 6 months, which is notably shorter than the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 197 days. There are currently 1,000 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 111 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 36.4%. A fully favorable decision awards benefits from the claimant's requested onset date, while a partially favorable decision may set a later onset date. Both count toward the overall approval rate.
How to Interpret Atlanta North Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Atlanta North, 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 6 months and 197 days average processing time, claimants at Atlanta North can expect a total timeline of roughly 13 months from hearing request to decision. The faster-than-average processing at this office means cases may move through the system more quickly.
Judges at Atlanta North have collectively issued 1,671 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 186 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 380 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Atlanta North Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Atlanta North?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 25% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 36.4%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Atlanta North?
How long do disability cases take at Atlanta North?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 13 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.