Judge Ratings for Rochester Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Rochester 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 Rochester if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in Geneva, Greece, or obviously Rochester. The Rochester Social Security hearing office is located in the Federal Building on State Street, a couple of blocks away from Innovative Field, home of the Rochester Red Wings. 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 Rochester, 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:

Tip: Don’t go over the top with your emotions during the hearing unless you can’t help it. We’ve had clients that cry on purpose to try to win their hearing and that usually turns the Judge off and makes them think you’re lying. Credibility is everything, so try to keep your emotions in check. If they just come out and are uncontrollable, that is usually obvious to the judge and they will usually be empathetic. But don’t try to act “disabled”, just be yourself.

The Quality of Rochester Social Security Hearing Judges

Great news if you have a case in Rochester! Rochester Social Security Hearing Judges have very good case approval ratings. Rochester 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, Rochester Judges are higher, namely 64%. You’ll also notice from the above table that a couple of judges are about average but most judges in Rochester have an 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 Rochester 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 I call biased.

For example, for Rochester Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge James Kearns has a case approval percentage at 67%, 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 Rochester, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.

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 Rochester Social Security hearings are held at the U.S. Federal Building, Suite 3000, 100 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614. 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 Rochester Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 331-3271.

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 Rochester, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.