Approval rates
Judge Berkowitz has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 66% over a decade of service. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 68%, which places him 8 percentage points above the national average of 58%. While his current rate is 9 points lower than the Long Island Hearing Office average, his extensive docket provides a stable statistical baseline. 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 Berkowitz'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
Over his 10 years on the bench, Judge Berkowitz has shown a steady decision pattern with periodic fluctuations. His annual approval rates have ranged from a low of 62% to a high of 72%, reflecting a consistent approach to case evaluation. The most recent data shows a rate of 68%, which aligns closely with his long-term historical average. This stability suggests a predictable judicial style that remains responsive to the evidence you present in your claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Berkowitz'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 Berkowitz? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Long Island hearing office
The Long Island Hearing Office serves a significant population of claimants across New York, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a robust pace of adjudication to address the needs of the region. The office currently reports an approval rate of 75%, reflecting the local landscape of disability claims. You can visit the Long Island Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Long Island Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 57% to 81%. This variance highlights that while the office operates under unified federal guidelines, individual judicial perspectives differ. For your preparation, the guidance remains consistent 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.