Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Joshua Pinkus had a 69% approval rate. In that same window, the Springfield MA office averaged 60%, the state averaged 58%, and the national average was 58%. These figures are based on his 198 decisions during that period.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Pinkus'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
Since December 2022, Joshua Pinkus has issued 822 decisions on record. His approval rate was 87% in 2023, 80% in 2024, 70% in 2025, and 71% in 2026. His 69% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, is lower than his 77% overall approval rate since 2022.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pinkus'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.
About the Springfield MA hearing office
The most recent office on record for Joshua Pinkus is Springfield MA, as of July 2026. This office recorded a 60% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Springfield MA
The 5 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 41% to 69% in approval rates over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. Across their records since 2016, these same judges range from 42% to 77%.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Pinkus's 69%. Four of them last decided cases in Massachusetts. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's Boston region.
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Francis Hurley
- 65% Approval rate, last 12 months Edward T. Bauer
- 73% Approval rate, last 12 months Jonathan P. Baird
- 65% Approval rate, last 12 months William Ramsey
- 70% Approval rate, last 12 months John Noel
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Pinkus and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Joshua Pinkus approved 69% of cases, while the 5 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file ranged from 41% to 69%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
Joshua Pinkus has an approval rate of 77% across 822 decisions on record since December 2022. His yearly approval rates were 87% in 2023, 80% in 2024, 70% in 2025, and 71% in 2026. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, making the assignment process random. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An approval rate is a statistical observation of past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. While Joshua Pinkus's 69% rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, provides context, the outcome of your case depends on the medical evidence you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your evidence is organized and ready for your hearing.
