Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge McEneaney holds a 64% lifetime approval rate, which stands in contrast to the current 71% approval rate at the New York Varick office and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from her 9,694 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 McEneaney'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 her 8 years on the bench, Judge McEneaney has maintained a consistent approach to disability claims. Her yearly approval trends show fluctuations, ranging from 59% in 2016 to 72% in 2023. This trajectory reflects her adaptation to evolving case evidence and regulatory standards. Her decision-making remains grounded in the specific medical and vocational evidence presented in your file.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McEneaney'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 McEneaney? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the New York Varick hearing office
The New York Varick Hearing Office serves a high volume of claimants across the New York region. With a current office-wide approval rate of 71%, it remains an active hub for disability adjudication. You should expect a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the New York Varick Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the New York Varick Hearing Office, the bench features a range of approval rates, spanning from 43% to 83% across the office's 6 ALJs. This variance underscores why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is critical. You can find more information on the New York Varick 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.