Albany Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
New York · SSA Region 02
Approval Rate
65.5%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
8.5 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
314 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
3,349
awaiting hearing
ALJs
11
active judges
Albany ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul F Kelly | 92.2% | 7.8% | 87.8% | 345 | 405 |
| John G Farrell | 79.5% | 20.5% | 72.8% | 302 | 375 |
| Dale Black Pennington | 71.8% | 28.2% | 63.3% | 319 | 373 |
| Elizabeth A. Lardaro | 64.8% | 35.2% | 51.9% | 54 | 65 |
| Michelle S Marcus | 61.3% | 38.7% | 49.1% | 163 | 185 |
| Jude Mulvey | 54.7% | 45.3% | 40.8% | 179 | 209 |
| Soltes JR. | 53.7% | 46.3% | 40.7% | 54 | 68 |
| Andrew Soltes | 52.1% | 47.9% | 31.9% | 326 | 375 |
| Gretchen Greisler | 48.5% | 51.5% | 33.9% | 165 | 194 |
| Asad Ba Yunus | 45% | 55% | 36.8% | 378 | 455 |
| John Loughlin | 34.3% | 65.7% | 23.9% | 230 | 270 |
Former Judges at Albany
These judges have no recorded decisions at Albany in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.
| Judge | Last Decisions Reported | Approval Rate | Total Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Lecours | May 2025 | 51.8% | 359 |
| Arthur Patane | April 2025 | 63% | 262 |
| David F Neumann | December 2023 | 53.2% | 77 |
Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.
About the Albany Social Security Hearing Office
The Albany hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in New York. This office is in SSA Region 02 and currently has 11 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 11 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 65.5%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. This higher-than-average rate reflects the combined decision patterns of all judges at this office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 34.3% to 92.2%, a 58-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8.5 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 314 days. There are currently 3,349 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 304 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 48.4%. 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 Albany Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Albany, 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 8.5 months and 314 days average processing time, claimants at Albany can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Albany have collectively issued 2,515 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 229 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 54 to 378 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Albany Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Albany?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 34.3% to 92.2%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 48.4%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Which judges hear cases at Albany?
How long is the wait time at Albany?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 19 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
What is the fully favorable rate at Albany?
How does Albany compare to other offices in the state?
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