Judge Ratings for White Plains Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your White Plains Social Security Hearing for Disability or SSI scheduled in the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO)? Do you want to know everything you can about the where, why and how of the hearing itself? You’re not alone, most of our clients desperately want to know every detail of their Disability Hearing so that they have the best chance of winning. You might have a hearing in White Plains if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or nearMonticello, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Peekskill, Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Warwick, Fishkill, West Nyack, White Plains, or Yonkers. The White Plains Social Security hearing office is located on South Broadway right next to the Westchester Mall. You can find the name of your judge on a hearing scheduled notice or call the number for the hearing office (at the bottom of this page). Here are all the judges’ statistics and other information that you need, and if you’re looking for a Disability Lawyer serving White Plains, don’t hesitate to call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Judges’ Statistics

The following table is up to date as of October 2024:

Tip: Don’t lie to the judge! Credibility is everything to most judges. If a judge thinks you’re lying, they will probably find you not disabled. If a judge thinks you’re telling the truth, they will probably approve your case. You may think that a truthful answer might damage your case, and that may be true, but lying will hurt your case more than telling the truth. Honesty is the best policy!

The Quality of White Plains Social Security Hearing Judges

White Plains Social Security Hearing Judges range from very good case approval ratings to a little below average case approval ratings. That being said, it appears that White Plains has a little better than average judges when it comes to case approval percentages. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see, White Plains Judges are a little higher, namely 60%. You’ll also notice from the above table that a couple of judges are above average while a couple judges are below average, but most judges in White Plains are right near the average approval rate. Many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. But many have very bad experiences in White Plains because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. The judges there are doing the best they can. Do they get decisions wrong sometimes? Of course, they are human. Only those with very low case approval rates would I call biased.

For example, for White Plains Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge Michalec Olszewski has the lowest case approval percentage at 40%. This rate is actually not very low and the Judge could very well be a reasonable person but just skeptical. That being said, if you draw a judge with below 50% approval rate then you will need a decent case to win. That usually means that if you’re under 50 you must have a debilitating condition or being at least 50 or over with a physical condition that prevents prolonged standing and walking. In both cases, you may lose if you have sedentary work experience. Click here to get more information about the rules, or a Disability Lawyer serving White Plains, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.

Where Will My Hearing Be Held?

Most hearings will be held by phone, the judge’s clerk will call your phone and place you in a conference call. The whole hearing will be held via conference call, it’s actually very efficient. If you have a lawyer the evidence is submitted electronically before the hearing.

If you don’t have a lawyer you’ll have to bring your evidence to the hearing office or mail it in. You can request an in-person hearing, but we don’t advise it. If you do have a in-person hearing or need to submit evidence, check out the photo above from the SSA hearing office locator website. It shows that White Plains Social Security hearings are held in Suite 202 at 75 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601. You’ll go through the metal detectors – don’t bring any weapons, even a pocket knife, or they won’t let you in. Then check in with the staff and wait to be called for your hearing. If you need to reach the White Plains Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (877) 691-6146.

What should I do if I need help with my hearing?

If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over your case will almost always give you a postponement to try to get a lawyer. These hearings are very difficult without a lawyer, and the ALJs rarely get the evidence they need unless a lawyer is involved. If you need a Disability Lawyer serving White Plains, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.