Approval rates
Judge Kearns maintains a lifetime approval rate of 64% across 8,609 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 71%, which is 4 percentage points higher than the New York office average and 6 percentage points above the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding his courtroom history, though they do not predict the outcome of your specific 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 Kearns'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 decade on the bench, Judge Kearns has seen his approval rates fluctuate, ranging from a low of 53% in 2023 to a high of 75% in 2018. The recent trend shows a return to higher approval levels, with a 69% rate recorded in 2025. This pattern suggests a stable approach to case evaluation that remains responsive to the evidence you present.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kearns'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 Kearns? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the New York hearing office
The New York Hearing Office serves a large population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse range of cases, reflecting the complex medical and vocational needs of the local workforce. The office-wide approval rate currently sits at 60%, providing a benchmark for the local administrative environment.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Kearns is essentially random. Across the New York office, lifetime approval rates for the 6 ALJs range from 37% to 82%. This variance highlights why focusing on your own medical evidence is the most important step in your claim. For preparation purposes, the guidance 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.