Judge Ratings for Brooklyn Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

The Quality of Brooklyn Social Security Hearing Judges

Great news if you have a case in Brooklyn! Brooklyn Social Security Hearing Judges have very good case approval ratings. Brooklyn has much better than average judges when it comes to case approval percentages. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Brooklyn Judges are much higher, namely 74%.

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Brooklyn Social Security Hearing for Disability or SSI scheduled in the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO)? Do you want to know everything you can about the where, why and how of the hearing itself? You’re not alone, most of our clients desperately want to know every detail of their Disability Hearing so that they have the best chance of winning. You might have a hearing in Brooklyn if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Boro Hall, Brooklyn Flatbush, Brooklyn Bushwick, or Canarsie. The Brooklyn Social Security hearing office is located on Varick Street in Manhattan between West Houston and Hudson Street. We don’t know why it’s in Manhattan near SoHo when it serves Brooklyn only, go figure. Anyway, you can find the name of your judge on a hearing scheduled notice or call the number for the hearing office (at the bottom of this page). Here are all the judges’ statistics and other information that you need, and if you’re looking for a Disability Lawyer serving Brooklyn, don’t hesitate to call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Judges’ Statistics

The following table is up to date as of October 2024:

Case Approval Rates and What They Mean

You’ll notice from the above table that one of the judges is about average but most judges in Brooklyn have a high approval rate. Many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. But many have very bad experiences in Brooklyn because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. The judges there are doing the best they can. Do they get decisions wrong sometimes? Of course, they are human. Only those with very low case approval rates would we question as biased.

For example, for Brooklyn Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge James Kearns has the lowest case approval percentage at 50%, but he actually works more in the Manhattan hearing office and carries about a 47% approval rate there. This rate is actually quite high and the Judge is probably a reasonable person but just a tad skeptical. That being said, if you draw a judge with below average approval rate then you will need a decent case to win. That usually means that if you’re under 50 you must have a debilitating condition or being at least 50 or over with a physical condition that really impacts your ability to stand and walk. In both cases, you may lose if you have sedentary work experience. Click here to get more information about the rules, or a Disability Lawyer serving Brooklyn, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.

Tip: Don’t tell the judge you can work unless you explain why you answered that way. You are at a Social Security Disability Hearing because you are expected to be disabled for 12 months or more, or at the very least have a closed period of disability of 12 months or more in the past. ‘Disabled” in Social Security terms means that you can’t or couldn’t work ANY job in the national economy, that doesn’t mean you can work but nobody will hire you. If you can work but no one will hire you, you are not disabled (unless you’re 50 or over). Confused? Contact us for a free case evaluation from a Disability Lawyer serving Brooklyn.

Where Will My Hearing Be Held?

Most hearings will be held by phone, the judge’s clerk will call your phone and place you in a conference call. The whole hearing will be held via conference call, it’s actually very efficient. If you have a lawyer the evidence is submitted electronically before the hearing.

If you don’t have a lawyer you’ll have to bring your evidence to the hearing office or mail it in. You can request an in-person hearing, but we don’t advise it. If you do have a in-person hearing or need to submit evidence, check out the photo above from the SSA hearing office locator website. It shows that Brooklyn Social Security hearings are held on the 3rd Floor (Room 315) of 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014. You’ll go through the metal detectors – don’t bring any weapons, even a pocket knife, or they won’t let you in. Then check in with the staff and wait to be called for your hearing. If you need to reach the Brooklyn Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 964-9971.

What should I do if I need help with my hearing?

If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over your case will almost always give you a postponement to try to get a lawyer. These hearings are very difficult without a lawyer, and the ALJs rarely get the evidence they need unless a lawyer is involved. If you need a Disability Lawyer serving Brooklyn, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.