Amanda M. Knapp
How Judge Knapp decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On Social Security review she applies deferential substantial-evidence review and the SSR 96-8p articulation rule: an ALJ need only explain a declined medical opinion where the RFC conflicts with it, and a sufficiently explained rationale citing specific record evidence will be upheld even over a claimant's disagreement. She affirmed in Harris and Willis on that basis but vacated/remanded in Stidom.
“an ALJ need only explain why a specific medical opinion was not adopted if the RFC assessment conflicts with that medical opinion. ... Harris's argument fails because the ALJ satisfied his burden under SSR 96-8p by thoroughly explaining his rationale for declining to adopt the exertional limitations”
Procedural preferences
Objections to her R&Rs must identify a specific error in the R&R itself; an objection that merely rehashes the merits brief or points only to alleged ALJ errors (without naming an error in the R&R) is treated as improper and overruled (Harris). She also sits on 636(c) consent (suffix -AMK).
“This is not a proper objection because Harris is simply rehashing and providing the same arguments that she put forth to Magistrate Judge Knapp. ... Because the objection does not identify any error in the R&R itself, there is no proper objection before the Court.”
Motion outcomes
Counted from classified signed orders only. Percentages are shown only where the sample is large enough to be meaningful; smaller samples are reported as raw counts.
| Social security appeal N = 3 |
counts only |
A "1 of 1" is one ruling, not a tendency. Treat small samples as illustrative, not predictive.
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“On May 10, 2022, Magistrate Judge Amanda M. Knapp recommended that the Court VACATE the Commissioner's decision and REMAND this matter for further proceedings. ... the Court ADOPTS Magistrate Judge Knapp's Report and Recommendation, ... VACATES the Commissioner's decision, and REMANDS this case to the Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings”
“Magistrate Judge Amanda M. Knapp's Report and Recommendation ("R&R") recommending that the Court should affirm the final decision of the Commissioner ... the Court OVERRULES Harris' objections as improper and, even if her objections were considered proper, the Court would overrule them as meritless. ... ADOPTS the Magistrate Judge's R&R, ... and AFFIRMS the final decision of the Commissioner.”
“On July 23, 2025, Magistrate Judge Knapp recommended that the Commissioner's decision be affirmed. ... the Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge Knapp, (ECF #11), is hereby ADOPTED. The decision of the Commissioner denying Plaintiff, Michelle Elizabeth Willis' Application for Disability Insurance Benefits and Supplemental Security Income is hereby AFFIRMED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Qualitative, NOT a census. As an Akron Eastern-Division magistrate judge she handles (a) referred civil R&R matters -- Social Security 405(g) appeals dominate her written work (the reasoning layer above), across multiple Article III judges (Fleming, Nugent, Boyko seen as referrers/adopters); (b) 636(c) consent civil cases (suffix -AMK); and (c) directly-assigned duty-magistrate criminal complaints and petty-offense matters (5:26-mj / 5:26-po) in 2026.