Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Kenneth Theurer's 49% approval rate is measured against the Syracuse office rate of 57%, the New York state rate of 63%, and the national average of 58%. These figures are based on 477 decisions. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific hearing.
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 Theurer'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 September 2016, Kenneth Theurer has issued 4,323 decisions with an overall approval rate of 44%. The yearly trend shows fluctuations, with approval rates moving from 50% in 2016 to a low point of 39% in 2020 and 2021 before trending upward in recent years. The most recent 12 months sit above the record since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Theurer'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 Syracuse hearing office
The Syracuse hearing office serves you and other claimants across the region. There are 13 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 7 having decided cases in the latest SSA file. The office maintained a 57% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Syracuse
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. The 7 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 47% to 69% on their 12-month approval rates. There are 13 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, 7 of whom decided cases here in SSA's latest file.
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 Theurer's 49%. All five last decided cases in New York.
- 50% Approval rate, last 12 months Aaron M. Morgan
- 48% Approval rate, last 12 months John Carlton
- 50% Approval rate, last 12 months Kieran McCormack
- 48% Approval rate, last 12 months Seth I. Grossman
- 47% Approval rate, last 12 months Mary Jane Pelton
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 Theurer 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
Kenneth Theurer's 49% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, falls within the 47% to 69% range of the 7 judges who decided cases at the Syracuse office in the same period. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific bench you are assigned.
Kenneth Theurer's approval rate has varied over time, starting at 50% in 2016 and reaching 49% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. An attorney can help you understand how to present your evidence effectively.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
A judge's approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. The quality of the medical evidence you provide is the most important factor in your claim. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible.
