Newark Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
New Jersey · SSA Region 02
Approval Rate
57%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
318 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
2,706
awaiting hearing
ALJs
11
active judges
Newark ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theresa Merrill | 74.5% | 25.5% | 69.9% | 239 | 290 |
| John Campbell | 67.3% | 32.7% | 50.6% | 352 | 419 |
| Richard West | 66.1% | 33.9% | 56.8% | 345 | 402 |
| Ricardy Damille | 60.4% | 39.6% | 48.3% | 331 | 391 |
| Leonard F Costa | 60.1% | 39.9% | 55.2% | 286 | 353 |
| Karen Shelton | 59.8% | 40.2% | 44.3% | 348 | 408 |
| Sharon Allard | 54.2% | 45.8% | 40.8% | 240 | 292 |
| Beth Shillin | 53.1% | 46.9% | 45% | 160 | 196 |
| Kenneth Ayers | 41% | 59% | 36.1% | 324 | 377 |
| Gina Pantuso | 33.3% | 66.7% | 33.3% | 3 | 5 |
| Peter R Lee | 24% | 76% | 18.2% | 242 | 321 |
About the Newark Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Newark service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in New Jersey. The office is assigned to SSA Region 02 and has 11 active ALJs. With 11 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.
The office's average approval rate is 57%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. The rate aligns with national patterns, though individual judges at this office may vary above or below this average. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 24% to 74.5%, a 51-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 318 days. There are currently 2,706 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 246 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 45.3%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Newark Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Newark, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 8 months and 318 days average processing time, claimants at Newark can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Newark have collectively issued 2,870 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 261 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 3 to 352 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Newark Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Newark?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 24% to 74.5%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 45.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Newark?
How long do disability cases take at Newark?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 19 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.