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New Jersey ALJ Statistics

Social Security Disability hearing statistics for 3 hearing offices and 25 administrative law judges in New Jersey.

State Approval Rate

64.1%

vs 58.3% national

Hearing Offices

3

in New Jersey

ALJs

25

active judges

Avg Wait Time

8.5 months

vs 8 months national

Hearing Offices in New Jersey

Office ALJs Approval Rate Wait Time Processing Pending
Jersey City 8 65.2% 7 months 317 days 2,399
Newark 9 57% 8 months 318 days 2,706
South Jersey 8 69.9% 10 months 382 days 2,770

About New Jersey Disability Hearings

Social Security disability hearings in New Jersey are conducted across 3 hearing offices in SSA Region 02. A total of 25 Administrative Law Judges are currently assigned to hear cases in the state.

The average approval rate across New Jersey hearing offices is 64.1%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. Higher state-level rates can reflect various factors including case demographics, representation patterns, and the mix of judges across the state's offices. Within the state, office-level approval rates range from 57% at the Newark hearing office to 69.9% at the South Jersey hearing office, a 13-point difference.

Wait times across New Jersey offices range from 7 months at the Jersey City hearing office to 10 months at the South Jersey hearing office.

Across all offices, there are 7,875 cases currently pending in New Jersey, averaging approximately 315 pending cases per judge. Click on any hearing office below to see detailed judge-level statistics and individual approval rates.

New Jersey Hearing Landscape

New Jersey's 3 hearing offices each serve different geographic areas of the state. Case assignment is based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location and judge assignment depend on where the claimant lives rather than personal preference. All statistics on this page are weighted by individual judge caseloads to accurately reflect the volume of cases processed.

With 3 hearing offices, New Jersey provides multiple venues for disability hearings. Office sizes vary from 8 judges at the South Jersey hearing office to 9 judges at the Newark hearing office. Cases are assigned to offices based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location is determined by geography rather than preference.

For attorneys practicing disability law in New Jersey, understanding the local hearing landscape is an important part of case preparation. The data on this page provides a starting point for evaluating office-level patterns, though individual judge statistics offer more granular insight into decision-making tendencies. Visit individual office pages for judge-level data.

New Jersey Disability Hearing FAQ

What are my chances of approval in New Jersey?
The average ALJ approval rate in New Jersey is 64.1% for FY 2025. This includes both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions. The national average is 58.3%, putting New Jersey above the national benchmark. Office-level rates within the state range from 57% to 69.9%.
Which cities in New Jersey have SSA hearing offices?
New Jersey has 3 SSA hearing offices with a total of 25 administrative law judges. The largest office is the Newark hearing office with 9 judges, while the South Jersey hearing office has 8. Hearing location is determined by the claimant's home address. Within each office, judges are assigned cases through a rotational scheduling system.
What is the fastest hearing office in New Jersey?
The Jersey City hearing office currently has the shortest wait time at 7 months. The longest wait is at the South Jersey hearing office at 10 months, a gap of 3.0 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is state data calculated?
With 25 active judges, New Jersey processes a significant caseload. State averages are calculated by aggregating data from all hearing offices within the state. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. All statistics are drawn from publicly available SSA disposition data, updated periodically as new fiscal year reports become available.
Where does New Jersey rank in disability hearing outcomes?
New Jersey is in SSA Region 02. Its average approval rate of 64.1% is above the national average of 58.3%. For a full comparison of approval rates and wait times across all states, visit the states overview page.
What affects disability hearing results in New Jersey?
Hearing outcomes in New Jersey are influenced by several factors including the strength and completeness of medical evidence, vocational factors such as the claimant's age, education, and work history, the quality of legal representation at the hearing, and individual judge decision-making patterns.

New Jersey's above-average approval rate of 64.1% may partly reflect higher representation rates or differences in the types of cases that reach the hearing level in this region. With 25 active judges across 3 offices, outcomes in New Jersey reflect a broad range of judicial decision-making patterns.

While all ALJs apply the same federal disability standards, these case-level factors can lead to variation in outcomes across offices and judges.
Can I request a different hearing location in New Jersey?
Your hearing office is determined by where you live, and the specific judge is assigned through the office's rotational calendar — neither is chosen by the claimant. While transfers between offices are generally not possible based on preference, a change of address that moves you into a different office's service area may result in case reassignment. New Jersey has 3 hearing offices, each serving a defined geographic area within the state.

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