Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Schriver's 64% lifetime approval rate is measured against the latest office-wide average of 78% and the national average of 58%. With 15,080 decisions on record, this data offers a stable view of his historical decision-making tendencies. 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
Over his 9-year tenure, Judge Schriver has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After a period of lower approval rates between 2019 and 2021, the data shows a clear upward trend in recent years, reaching 83% in 2025. The latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 77%, which remains consistent with this recent shift. This pattern suggests that the judge's approach to evidence and case requirements has evolved over time.
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.
Hearing with Judge Schriver? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Queens hearing office
The Queens Hearing Office serves a significant volume of claimants across the New York region. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a complex caseload that reflects the diverse needs of the local population. The office-wide latest approval rate currently stands at 78%, providing a baseline for the local administrative environment. You can visit 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Queens Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 64% to 84%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is vital to focus on the strength of your own medical documentation. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.