New York Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
New York · SSA Region 02
Approval Rate
60.9%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
336 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
2,569
awaiting hearing
ALJs
14
active judges
New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moises Penalver | 85.9% | 14.1% | 75.3% | 85 | 97 |
| Lucian A Vecchio | 83.8% | 16.2% | 81.2% | 117 | 143 |
| Joani Sedaca | 80.3% | 19.7% | 64.2% | 310 | 379 |
| Marissa A Pizzuto | 77.6% | 22.4% | 69.4% | 85 | 119 |
| James Kearns | 71.4% | 28.6% | 65.7% | 70 | 109 |
| Flor M Suarez | 61.4% | 38.6% | 51% | 241 | 300 |
| Kieran McCormack | 53.8% | 46.2% | 46.2% | 130 | 146 |
| Ifeoma N Iwuamadi | 51.9% | 48.1% | 35.7% | 339 | 396 |
| Seth I Grossman | 46.4% | 53.6% | 38.7% | 222 | 268 |
| Lau Michalec Olszewski | 45% | 55% | 35% | 60 | 70 |
| Lori Romeo | 43.2% | 56.8% | 27% | 37 | 41 |
| Mark Solomon | 34.1% | 65.9% | 24.4% | 205 | 227 |
| Aaron M Morgan | 33.3% | 66.7% | 33.3% | 6 | 9 |
| Roxanne Fuller | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 |
About the New York Social Security Hearing Office
The Social Security Administration operates the New York hearing office in New York as part of its Office of Hearings Operations. Located in SSA Region 02, 14 Administrative Law Judges conduct disability hearings at this location. With 14 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 60.9%, 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 33.3% to 85.9%, a 53-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 336 days. There are currently 2,569 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 184 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 49.8%. 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 New York Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at New York, 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 336 days average processing time, claimants at New York can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at New York have collectively issued 1,907 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 136 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 6 to 339 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
New York Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at New York?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 33.3% to 85.9%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 49.8%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at New York?
What is the average case processing time at New York?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 19 months. Wait time averages reflect the most recently reported SSA data and will evolve as new disposition reports are released.