Approval rates
Judge Hecht maintains a lifetime approval rate of 64% across 4,752 decisions. This performance is 4 percentage points higher than the New York office average of 60% and 6 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's history within the Social Security Administration system. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific case.
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 Hecht'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 Hecht has shown a dynamic trend in his approval patterns. Starting with a 57% approval rate in 2016, the rate rose to 73% in 2017 before adjusting to 69% in 2018. This fluctuation highlights how case mix and evidentiary standards can influence annual outcomes. The data reflects a period of stabilization following his initial years on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hecht'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.
Have a hearing with Judge Hecht? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Check My BenefitsAbout the New York hearing office
The New York (New York) hearing office serves a high volume of claimants across the metropolitan area. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a complex caseload that reflects the diverse needs of the local population. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 60%, aligning with the broader regional trends. You can visit the New York (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 New York office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 37% to 82%. Because of this variance, understanding the broader office environment is as important as looking at any single judge's history. You can find more information on the office's overall performance on the New York 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.