Rochester Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
New York · SSA Region 02
Approval Rate
73.6%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
12 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
395 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
902
awaiting hearing
ALJs
3
active judges
Rochester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael W Devlin | 78.4% | 21.6% | 72.3% | 412 | 463 |
| John P Costello | 72.8% | 27.2% | 64.2% | 81 | 83 |
| Brian Kane | 67.4% | 32.6% | 60.3% | 310 | 349 |
About the Rochester Social Security Hearing Office
The Social Security Administration operates the Rochester hearing office in New York as part of its Office of Hearings Operations. Located in SSA Region 02, 3 Administrative Law Judges conduct disability hearings at this location. As a smaller office, caseload is concentrated among fewer judges, which means individual judge statistics have a more pronounced effect on overall office outcomes.
The office's average approval rate is 73.6%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. While above the national benchmark, this figure aggregates decisions across all judges and encompasses both fully and partially favorable outcomes. Judge approval rates at this office range from 67.4% to 78.4%, indicating relatively consistent decision patterns across the bench.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 12 months, which is longer than the national average of 8 months. Longer wait times can reflect higher caseload volume relative to available judges. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 395 days. There are currently 902 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 301 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 65.6%. 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 Rochester Hearing Office Data
The relatively consistent decision patterns across judges at Rochester can give claimants and their representatives a clearer sense of what to expect. This consistency suggests that case-level factors — strength of medical evidence, quality of representation, and vocational circumstances — are likely the primary drivers of outcomes at this office.
With an average wait time of 12 months and 395 days average processing time, claimants at Rochester can expect a total timeline of roughly 25 months from hearing request to decision. This longer-than-average wait underscores the importance of having complete medical evidence ready well before the hearing date.
Judges at Rochester have collectively issued 803 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 268 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 81 to 412 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Rochester Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Rochester?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 67.4% to 78.4%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 65.6%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Rochester?
How long do disability cases take at Rochester?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 25 months. Wait time averages reflect the most recently reported SSA data and will evolve as new disposition reports are released.