Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Alan B. Berkowitz approved 70% of cases. In that same window, the Long Island office approved 72%, the New York state average was 63%, and the national average was 58%.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
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
Since 2016, Alan B. Berkowitz has issued 3,992 decisions, with an overall approval rate of 67%. His annual approval rates have ranged from 61% to 73% during this period.
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.
About the Long Island hearing office
The Long Island hearing office is the most recent office on record for Alan B. Berkowitz as of July 2026. The 7 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file have an approval rate range of 59% to 81% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Long Island
Among the 12 judges whose most recent office on record is Long Island, 7 judges decided cases here in SSA's latest file. These 7 judges range from 59% to 81% in their approval rates over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Berkowitz's 70%. All five last decided cases in New York.
- 70% Approval rate, last 12 months Latanya White Richards
- 70% Approval rate, last 12 months Robert R. Schriver
- 69% Approval rate, last 12 months Jeremy G. Eldred
- 68% Approval rate, last 12 months Jennifer Gale Smith
- 72% Approval rate, last 12 months Dale Black-Pennington
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Berkowitz and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Alan B. Berkowitz approved 70% of cases, which sits within the 59% to 81% range of the 7 judges who decided cases at the Long Island office during that period. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing.
Alan B. Berkowitz has maintained a 67% approval rate across 3,992 decisions since 2016. His annual approval percentage has varied between 61% and 73% over that time. An attorney can help you understand how your case fits into these trends.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses an automated workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases. An attorney can help you prepare regardless of which judge is assigned.
An SSDI hearing is a formal proceeding where you provide testimony about your medical conditions and work history. You will answer questions from the judge and potentially a vocational expert. An attorney can help you prepare for these questions.
A judge's approval rate is a summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your success depends on the medical evidence you provide to support your claim. An attorney can help you ensure your evidence is ready for your hearing.
