Approval rates
Judge Barry has established an 83% approval rate over his 7,341 lifetime decisions. His performance is 16 points above the White Plains office average and 25 points above the national average. This data provides a broad view of his judicial tendencies over his 6-year tenure. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Barry's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
The yearly trend for Judge Barry shows high approval rates in his early years on the bench, peaking at 96% in 2017. Following 2018, the approval rate shifted to a more moderate level, holding at 73% to 74% through 2021. This transition from higher initial rates to a stable plateau reflects his recent decision-making. These trends illustrate how his approach to evidence and case requirements has evolved over his 6-year career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barry's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Barry? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the White Plains hearing office
The White Plains hearing office serves a diverse population in the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 67%. You can expect a structured environment where evidence quality and medical documentation are the primary drivers of a favorable decision. You can see the White Plains Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the assignment of a judge is essentially random. Within the White Plains hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary, ranging from 53% to 83%. While each judge brings a unique perspective to the courtroom, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.