Approval rates
Judge Patane maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60% based on 18,879 total decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the approval rate reached 68%, compared to an office average of 67% and a national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical look at the judge's history over a decade on the bench. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your 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 Patane'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 10 years on the bench, the approval rate for Judge Patane has shifted. After a period of decline between 2020 and 2023, where rates reached 48%, the most recent data shows a rebound to 68%. This pattern suggests that the judge's decision-making is responsive to changes in case volume or evidence standards. The recent uptick reflects a return to higher approval levels.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Patane'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 Patane? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Albany hearing office
The Albany Hearing Office serves claimants across New York and is part of a regional network managing a significant volume of SSDI applications. With a team of 6 judges, the office maintains an active docket and processes thousands of cases annually. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process focused on medical and vocational evidence. See the Albany Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is random. At the Albany Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 81%. This variance highlights why understanding the local judicial environment is important for your preparation. The guidance for your case 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.