Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps you understand the environment of your upcoming hearing. Judge Crawley maintains an 81% lifetime approval rate, which stands in contrast to the 75% office average and the 58% national average for the latest reporting period. With 22,982 decisions on record, this data provides a stable look at historical trends. 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 Crawley'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 Crawley has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability claims. While your approval rate saw a temporary dip in 2020 and 2021, recent data shows a return to higher approval levels, reaching 87% in the latest reporting period. This recent performance is higher than the judge's long-term average, reflecting the evolving nature of evidence and case mix over the last decade.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Crawley'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 Crawley? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Long Island hearing office
The Long Island (New York) hearing office serves a large population, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 75%, which is higher than both the state and national averages. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of your medical records and testimony. You can visit the Long Island (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. At the Long Island (New York) hearing office, the bench includes 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 57% to 81%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. The guidance for your preparation 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.