Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how your judge’s approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. With a lifetime record of 68% across 7,904 decisions, the data provides a statistically significant look at his history on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 10 points higher than the national average of 58%, though it remained 10 points below the Queens office average. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Cohen'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 5 years on the bench, your judge has shown a shift in his approval patterns. While his early tenure saw approval rates hovering between 69% and 72%, the most recent data indicates a decline, with the 2020 reporting period showing a 53% approval rate. This trend suggests a move toward more conservative outcomes in recent years compared to his career-long average. These fluctuations often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented during the hearing process.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Cohen'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 Cohen? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Queens hearing office
The Queens Hearing Office serves a diverse population across New York, managing a high volume of disability claims. As part of a regional network, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 78%, which is notably higher than the national average. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical documentation and vocational history. For more information on the local bench, see the Queens 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Queens Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 64% to 84%. Because you cannot choose your judge, your focus should remain on building a robust medical record that clearly demonstrates your functional limitations. You can find more information on the local bench by visiting the Queens Hearing Office page.
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.