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Newark Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

New Jersey · SSA Region 02

Approval Rate

54.1%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

9 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

303 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

4,034

awaiting hearing

ALJs

10

active judges

Newark ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics

Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.

Judge Approval Rate Denial Rate Fully Favorable Total Decisions Dispositions
Theresa Merrill 76.1% 23.9% 72.7% 289 353
Beth Shillin 62.4% 37.6% 51.5% 202 250
John Campbell 61.5% 38.5% 46.4% 192 216
Richard West 60.7% 39.3% 50.8% 356 418
Karen Shelton 59.5% 40.5% 44.7% 351 413
Leonard Costa 58.5% 41.5% 52.2% 366 443
Ricardy Damille 56.7% 43.3% 43.1% 418 477
Sharon Allard 54.9% 45.1% 45.4% 324 386
Kenneth Ayers 42.9% 57.1% 36% 378 451
Peter Lee 24.2% 75.8% 19.4% 356 418

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 10 active ALJs. With 10 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 54.1%, which is near the national average of 57.6%. 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 24.2% to 76.1%, a 52-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 303 days. There are currently 4,034 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 403 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 46.2%. 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 9 months and 303 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 3,232 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 323 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 192 to 418 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Newark Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Newark?
The average ALJ approval rate at Newark is 54.1% for the 12 months ending July 2026. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 24.2% to 76.1%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 46.2%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Newark?
The Newark office has 10 administrative law judges. Decision counts range from 192 to 418 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Newark?
The current average wait time at Newark is 9 months. This is longer than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 303 days.

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.
How is office data calculated?
With 10 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. These figures rely on SSA's publicly released disposition records, which are processed and incorporated into our database as each reporting cycle concludes.
What percentage of approvals at Newark are fully favorable?
A fully favorable outcome awards benefits from the date the claimant first alleged disability. A partially favorable outcome also results in an award but may recognize a later onset date, reducing retroactive benefits. In the approval rate shown here, both types of favorable decisions are included. At Newark, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 46.2%.
How does Newark rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 3 hearing offices in New Jersey, Newark has the lowest approval rate at 54.1%. In terms of wait time, Newark ranks 2 of 3 (9 months). Visit the New Jersey overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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