Who decides cases at this office
The panel at this office is consistent, with allowance rates clustering between 67% and 87%. Because the judges here operate within a narrow band, you are unlikely to see extreme swings in outcomes based on random assignment. While this consistency is helpful, each judge still weighs evidence differently, and your file must be robust enough to meet the burden of proof regardless of who is assigned to your case.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronald L. Waldman | 84% | 16,109 | |
| 2 | Joseph R. Faraguna | 81% | 14,352 | |
| 3 | Brian J. Crawley | 81% | 26,518 | |
| 4 | Linda A. Stagno | 77% | 11,500 | |
| 5 | David Tobias | 69% | 27,629 | |
| 6 | Andrew S. Weiss | 68% | 26,503 | |
| 7 | Alan B. Berkowitz | 66% | 26,901 | |
| 8 | Michelle I. Allen | 64% | 15,397 | |
| 9 | Patrick Kilgannon | 61% | 22,974 | |
| 10 | Scott R. Tirrell | 57% | 20,154 |
Heading to an ALJ hearing? Get a free case review to prepare for your upcoming hearing.
Free Benefits ReviewHow long you'll wait
At Long Island, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 10 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
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.
Going to your hearing
With a 9.5-month wait, you have a substantial runway to strengthen your file before you appear before an ALJ. Your hearing will typically involve answering questions about your limitations and daily activities. A vocational expert will often testify regarding whether jobs exist that fit your specific physical or mental restrictions. You must submit all updated medical records well before the deadline, as last-minute evidence is restricted. Bring your identification and a list of your current medications, including any side effects that impact your ability to work. Because the panel here is consistent, your success rests on how clearly your medical records support your testimony.
Even at an office with a 75% allowance rate, cases often fail because the claimant cannot effectively counter the vocational expert's testimony. A 9.5-month wait is a period to pressure-test your medical evidence against the specific requirements of the Social Security Administration. Identifying gaps in your record and preparing for the questions an ALJ will ask is a standard part of the hearing preparation process.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Long Island, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.