South Jersey Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
New Jersey · SSA Region 02
Approval Rate
69.9%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
10 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
382 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
2,770
awaiting hearing
ALJs
10
active judges
South Jersey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberly Varillo | 81.5% | 18.5% | 75% | 372 | 444 |
| Karen Patterson | 77.8% | 22.2% | 67.4% | 423 | 492 |
| Kathleen Cornell | 77.2% | 22.8% | 70.6% | 425 | 505 |
| Lisa Hibner Olson | 71.4% | 28.6% | 62% | 350 | 408 |
| Frederick Timm | 70.5% | 29.5% | 63.5% | 438 | 522 |
| Brian Lucas | 63.5% | 36.5% | 57.9% | 126 | 140 |
| Elizabeth A Lardaro | 60.1% | 39.9% | 53.9% | 293 | 359 |
| Nicholas Cerulli | 57.8% | 42.2% | 46.2% | 199 | 227 |
| Tonya Green | 53.1% | 46.9% | 39.2% | 375 | 435 |
| Elizabeth Ebner | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 |
About the South Jersey Social Security Hearing Office
The Social Security Administration operates the South Jersey hearing office in New Jersey as part of its Office of Hearings Operations. Located in SSA Region 02, 10 Administrative Law Judges conduct disability hearings at this location. 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 69.9%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. While above the national benchmark, this figure aggregates decisions across all judges and encompasses both fully and partially favorable outcomes. Judge approval rates at this office range from 53.1% to 81.5%, showing a moderate degree of variation across the bench.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 10 months, which is longer than the national average of 8 months. Longer wait times can reflect higher caseload volume relative to available judges. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 382 days. There are currently 2,770 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 277 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 59.5%. 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 South Jersey Hearing Office Data
South Jersey shows a moderate degree of variation across its bench, which is common among offices of this size. While all judges apply the same federal disability standards, differences in how they weigh medical evidence, vocational factors, and hearing testimony may contribute to varying outcomes.
With an average wait time of 10 months and 382 days average processing time, claimants at South Jersey can expect a total timeline of roughly 23 months from hearing request to decision. This longer-than-average wait underscores the importance of having complete medical evidence ready well before the hearing date.
Judges at South Jersey have collectively issued 3,001 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 300 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 126 to 438 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
South Jersey Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at South Jersey?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 53.1% to 81.5%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 59.5%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at South Jersey?
How long is the wait time at South Jersey?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 23 months. Wait time averages reflect the most recently reported SSA data and will evolve as new disposition reports are released.