Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Andrea Addison's 71% approval rate compares to a 65% office average, 63% state average, and 58% national average. Her record since October 2016 includes 3,227 total decisions, with an overall approval rate of 79%. These figures reflect past activity and provide a baseline for understanding the hearing environment.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Addison's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Since October 2016, Andrea Addison has issued 3,227 decisions. Her yearly approval rates have fluctuated, reaching 91% in 2022 before shifting to 71% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. This recent figure is lower than her overall record since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Addison's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
About the Jersey City hearing office
The Jersey City hearing office is the most recent office on record for Andrea Addison as of July 2026. This office maintains a bench of 11 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. You can view the full roster of judges at the Jersey City hearing office page.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Jersey City
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. At the Jersey City office, the 10 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 40% to 81% in their approval rates over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. You can find more information on the Jersey City hearing office page.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Addison's 71%. Three of them last decided cases in New Jersey. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's New York region.
- 67% Approval rate, last 12 months Frederick Timm
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Robert Gonzalez
- 76% Approval rate, last 12 months Theresa Merrill
- 70% Approval rate, last 12 months Maria E. Quant
- 70% Approval rate, last 12 months Alan B. Berkowitz
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Addison and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Andrea Addison approved 71% of cases, which is within the 40% to 81% range of the 10 judges who decided cases at the Jersey City office during that same period. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
Andrea Addison's approval rate has varied over time, with an overall rate of 79% across 3,227 decisions since October 2016. Her recent 12-month approval rate of 71% is lower than her long-term average. An attorney can help you understand how your case evidence fits into these trends.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a random workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges at the Jersey City office. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of your assigned judge.
An SSDI hearing is a formal proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony about your limitations. You may be questioned by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform work. An attorney can help you organize your evidence and prepare for these questions.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible before you appear before Andrea Addison.
