Approval rates
Over a 10-year career, Judge Ramos has issued 20,188 lifetime decisions with an overall approval rate of 52%. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 56%, which is 4 percentage points lower than the Syracuse office average and 6 percentage points below the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for his courtroom, though they do not predict the outcome of your specific case.
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 Ramos'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
Judge Ramos has maintained a consistent presence on the bench since 2016. His yearly approval rates have fluctuated, dipping to a low of 44% in 2021 before trending upward to 62% in 2024. The most recent data from 2025 shows a return to 53%, suggesting that his decision-making remains responsive to the specific evidence presented in each case. This pattern indicates that while his lifetime average is stable, his recent activity reflects a dynamic approach to the cases on his docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ramos'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 Ramos? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Syracuse hearing office
The Syracuse Hearing Office serves a broad population across New York, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of six judges, the office maintains an environment where caseloads are distributed to ensure efficient processing. The office-wide latest approval rate of 56% reflects regional trends in disability adjudication. You can visit the Syracuse Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Syracuse Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the six presiding judges range from 43% to 60%. This variance highlights why it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence regardless of your specific 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.