Approval rates
Judge Wright maintains a lifetime approval rate of 57%, which aligns closely with the latest Syracuse Hearing Office average of 56%. While her rate is 8 percentage points lower than the New York state average, it remains within a stable range for the region. With over 4,000 decisions on the record, this data provides a reliable look at her judicial 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 Wright'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 her 3 years on the bench, your judge has shown a dynamic trend in her approval rates. After an initial 47% approval rate in 2023, her numbers rose to 59% in 2024 before settling at 55% during the most recent period. This fluctuation is common and often reflects changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented. The latest period suggests a steady pattern of decision-making that remains consistent with her career-long performance.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wright'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 Wright? 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 6 judges, the office maintains an overall approval rate of 56%. You can expect a professional environment where thorough documentation is essential for a favorable outcome. You can see 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 your judge is selected randomly. Within the Syracuse Hearing Office, individual lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 43% to 60%. This variance highlights why your specific case evidence is the most important factor in your hearing. You can find more information on the Syracuse Hearing Office page.
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.