Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, David Tobias's 73% approval rate compares to the 72% office average, 63% state average, and 58% national average. These figures are based on 342 decisions. These rates reflect past patterns rather than predictions for 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 Tobias'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 January 2016, David Tobias has issued 3,717 decisions with an overall approval rate of 69%. Yearly approval rates have fluctuated, moving from 69% in 2016 to 72% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. The most recent 12-month performance is slightly above the long-term record since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Tobias'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 Long Island hearing office
The Long Island Hearing Office is the most recent office on record for David Tobias as of July 2026. This office includes 12 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, with 7 of them having decisions in SSA's latest file. The office maintained a 72% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Long Island
The Social Security Administration assigns cases randomly to ensure workload balance. Among the 12 judges whose most recent office on record is Long Island, the 7 who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 59% to 81% in approval rates over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
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 Tobias's 73%. All five last decided cases in New York.
- 73% Approval rate, last 12 months Jason A. Miller
- 72% Approval rate, last 12 months Dale Black-Pennington
- 72% Approval rate, last 12 months Michelle I. Allen
- 72% Approval rate, last 12 months Valorie Stefanelli
- 75% Approval rate, last 12 months Thomas C. Gray
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 Tobias 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
David Tobias's 73% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, sits within the 59% to 81% range of the 7 judges who decided cases at the Long Island office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you understand how these local trends may impact your case preparation.
David Tobias has a 69% approval rate on 3,717 decisions recorded since 2016. While the rate has varied year-to-year, the most recent 12-month approval rate of 73% remains consistent with the long-term record. An attorney can help you evaluate the evidence in your specific claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. An attorney can help you prepare for a hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. The strength of your medical evidence and testimony remains the most critical factor in your claim. An attorney can help you gather the necessary documentation to present your strongest case.
