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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
PITTSBURGH
Region 03Rank #119 of 160
Avg processing
278days
+14 vs national
Processing time
278
9.3 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,719
FY receipts
2,507
FY dispositions
1,813
Active judges
7
Video hearings
22%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
50.3%
-7.5 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.38
Growing
Rank
#119
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 7 judges
30%
62%
0%Median 50.4%100%
At PITTSBURGH, approval rates range from 29.7% (Perry-Dowdell, Leslie) to 62.3% (Hostovich, Julianne) — a 33-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (50.4%), not the best case.
Judges at PITTSBURGH (7)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostovich, Julianne | 62.3% | 146 | 91 | 55 | |
| Papazekos, Joanna | 62.0% | 187 | 116 | 71 | |
| Ehasz, Sarah | 58.5% | 241 | 141 | 100 | |
| Kaczmarek, Michael | 50.4% | 232 | 117 | 115 | |
| Kovac, Paul | 46.6% | 251 | 117 | 134 | |
| Bareford, Christian | 42.6% | 235 | 100 | 135 | |
| Perry-Dowdell, Leslie | 29.7% | 155 | 46 | 109 |