Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While Robert R. Schriver holds a 65% lifetime approval rate, his latest-period performance shows a 72% approval rate, which sits 4 points below the Queens office's latest-period average of 76%. These figures are drawn from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable baseline for understanding the judge's decision history. 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 Schriver'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 2017, Robert R. Schriver has maintained a consistent decision pattern across 2,572 lifetime decisions. The yearly trend shows a rise in approval rates, moving from the mid-50% range in earlier years to a more recent peak of 77% in 2025. The latest period of 72% reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, suggesting that the approach to evaluating evidence has remained relatively stable over the last several years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Schriver'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 Queens hearing office
The Queens hearing office serves you throughout the New York region. With 11 judges on record, this office maintains a latest-period approval rate of 76%. You can expect a formal administrative process where evidence quality is the primary factor in a favorable outcome. See the Queens 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 11 judges on record at this office since 2016, 6 of whom are reported in the latest period. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 49% to 85% on lifetime records. You can find more information on the Queens hearing office page.
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
Robert R. Schriver's latest-period approval rate of 72% is 4 points lower than the Queens office's latest-period average of 76%. Because judges are assigned randomly, an attorney can help you prepare a case that meets the specific evidentiary standards of this office.
Yes, the data shows a trend of rising approval rates over the last several years. While the lifetime rate is 65% across 2,572 decisions, recent years have seen rates as high as 77%. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might impact your specific hearing strategy.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Regardless of your assignment, an attorney can help you prepare for the hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical evidence and hears your testimony. You will likely be asked about your work history and how your impairments limit your daily activities. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony to ensure your case is presented clearly.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions, not a guarantee of your outcome. Your case's success depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you identify gaps in your evidence before your hearing.