Approval rates
Judge Black-Pennington has presided over 21,088 lifetime decisions during a 10-year tenure at the Albany Hearing Office. This docket provides a view of historical decision patterns when compared to the current office average of 67% and the national average of 58%. These figures serve as a baseline for understanding the judicial environment in Albany, though they do not predict your individual hearing outcome.
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 Black-Pennington'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 the past decade, the approval rate has experienced fluctuations, notably dipping to 47% in 2022 before trending to 66% in 2025. The latest reporting period shows a 68% approval rate, which indicates a return to higher allowance levels compared to the lifetime average. This recent pattern reflects a shift in the current approach to evidence and case evaluation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Black-Pennington'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 Black-Pennington? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Albany hearing office
The Albany Hearing Office serves a large population across New York, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 67%, reflecting regional trends for SSDI claims. You should prepare for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can visit the Albany Hearing Office page for more information.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Albany Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 49% to 81%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is more important than the specific judge 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.