Approval rates
Judge Zahm's approval rate is measured against the broader context of the Buffalo Hearing Office and national standards. While the office maintains a recent approval rate of 53%, Judge Zahm's recent performance has trended lower, currently sitting 13 percentage points below the national average. These metrics are derived from a docket of 840 lifetime decisions, providing a view of her decision-making 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 Zahm'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 4 years on the bench, Judge Zahm's approval rate has shown a downward trend. Starting at 62% in 2016, the rate shifted to 51% in 2017, before moving to 35% in 2018 and 36% in 2019. This pattern reflects the evolution of the cases and evidence presented in her courtroom over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Zahm'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 Zahm? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Buffalo hearing office
The Buffalo Hearing Office serves a large population across New York, managing a volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains a recent approval rate of 53%, which serves as a benchmark for the region. You should be prepared for a review of your medical records and vocational history when appearing at this office. You can find more information on the Buffalo Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Buffalo Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 45% to 54%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.