Approval rates
Evaluating your chances begins with understanding how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Costello’s 66% lifetime approval rate is measured against the Rochester Hearing Office latest rate of 74% and the national average of 58%. This data is derived from 16,102 lifetime decisions. 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 Costello'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 a 10-year tenure, Judge Costello has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. While early years saw approval rates in the low 60s, recent data shows a trend of higher approval percentages, including an 80% rate in 2024. The latest reporting period of 73% reflects a continuation of this recent pattern, which remains above the national norm. These shifts often mirror changes in case complexity or the specific medical evidence presented in the Rochester docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Costello'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 Costello? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Rochester hearing office
The Rochester (New York) Hearing Office serves a broad population across the region, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With a bench of 4 judges, the office maintains a steady pace of hearings designed to resolve disputes over benefit eligibility. You can expect a professional environment focused on the specific medical and vocational evidence of your case. You can see the Rochester (New York) 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 Rochester office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 66% to 78%. While you may be assigned to any of the 4 judges at this location, the fundamental requirements for proving your 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.