Approval rates
When reviewing the performance of an ALJ, it is helpful to compare their lifetime approval rate against current office and national benchmarks. Judge Glazer has presided over 4,019 lifetime decisions, providing a substantial data set for analysis. His latest reporting period shows an approval rate that exceeds both the Buffalo office average and the national average. 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 Glazer'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 3 years on the bench, Judge Glazer has demonstrated a fluctuating approval pattern. After an initial approval rate of 66% in 2016, the rate rose to 73% in 2017 before adjusting to 58% in 2018. This trend reflects the inherent variability in case volume and the specific medical evidence presented during each reporting period. These shifts are common in the SSDI process and often correlate with changes in the complexity of the cases assigned to the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Glazer'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 Glazer? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Buffalo hearing office
The Buffalo Hearing Office serves a significant population across New York, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 53%, reflecting the standards applied to all claims processed in this region. You can expect a structured environment where medical documentation and vocational testimony are prioritized. You can see the Buffalo (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 Buffalo Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 67%. While you may be concerned about which judge you draw, the core requirements for proving 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.