Judge Ratings for Syracuse Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Syracuse 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 Syracuse if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Binghamton, Corning, Elmira, Ithaca, Ogdensburg, Oswego, Syracuse, Utica, or Watertown. The Syracuse Social Security hearing office is located right off of the Route 81 and Route 690 merge on State Street. 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 Syracuse, 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 say your doctors are wrong during the hearing and interject your own opinion about medical issues. Yes, doctors are sometimes wrong but you can get a second or third opinion from another doctor. The judge gives special deference to medical experts and you are probably not a medical expert. Even if you are a doctor or nurse, you are not allowed to be a medical expert at your own hearing. 

The Quality of Syracuse Social Security Hearing Judges

Bad news if you have a case in Syracuse. Syracuse Social Security Hearing Judges are tough, with low case approval ratings. Syracuse has worse than average judges when it comes to case approval percentages. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see, Syracuse Judges are lower, namely 48%. You’ll also notice from the above table that a couple of judges are about average but most judges in Syracuse have a low approval rate. Some people still have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. But many have very bad experiences in Syracuse 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 wonder if they are biased.

For example, for Syracuse Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge Robyn Hoffman has the lowest case approval percentage at 36%. It’s not that low, but Judge Hoffman and some of the other judges are below 45%. They may be reasonable but just very skeptical. If you draw a judge with below 45% approval rate then you will need a very good case to win. That usually means that if you’re under 50 you must have a very debilitating condition or being at least 50 or over with a physical condition that prevents the 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 Syracuse, 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 Syracuse Social Security hearings are held on the 5th Floor of 300 S. State Street, Syracuse, NY 13202. 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 Syracuse Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (888) 655-6477.

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