Approval rates
Judge Morgan has issued 1,988 lifetime decisions during his 10 years on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 49%, which is 15 percentage points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for your hearing preparation. 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 Morgan'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 the past decade, your judge's approval rate has fluctuated, ranging from 24% in 2021 and 2024 to a high of 60% in 2017. The most recent data from 2025 shows a 50% approval rate. This trend reflects how your judge's decision-making responds to evolving case evidence and administrative priorities.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Morgan'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 Morgan? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the New York Varick hearing office
The New York Varick Hearing Office manages a high volume of Social Security Disability Insurance claims. The office currently maintains an office-wide approval rate of 71%, which is higher than the state average of 65% and the national average of 58%. You can visit the New York Varick Hearing Office page for more information on the office roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The New York Varick Hearing Office uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is selected randomly. The bench at this office is diverse, with lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs ranging from 43% to 83%. While your specific judge is determined by the SSA, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent regardless of your assignment.
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.