Approval rates
Comparing approval rates provides context for how a judge's decisions align with broader trends. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, the 81% approval rate for Judge Barr sits above the 65% office average, 63% state average, and 58% national average.
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 Barr'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 2016, Judge Barr has issued 3,091 decisions. The annual approval rate has varied over this period, reaching 90% in 2024 and 2025 before shifting to 80% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. While the 12-month approval rate of 81% remains high, it sits slightly above the 78% record since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barr'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 serves the surrounding region of New Jersey. As of the most recent data through July 2026, the office bench consists of 11 judges, 10 of whom are represented in the latest SSA file.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Jersey City
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. The 10 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 40% to 81% on their 12-month approval rates.
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 Barr's 81%. Four of them last decided cases in New Jersey. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's New York region.
- 81% Approval rate, last 12 months Karen Patterson
- 78% Approval rate, last 12 months Kimberly Varillo
- 77% Approval rate, last 12 months Kathleen Cornell
- 76% Approval rate, last 12 months Theresa Merrill
- 81% Approval rate, last 12 months Linda A. Stagno
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 Barr 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
Judge Barr's 81% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, is at the top of the range for the 10 judges who decided cases at the Jersey City office during that same period. The peer range for this window spans from 40% to 81%. An attorney can help you understand how these differences might impact your hearing preparation.
Judge Barr has maintained a consistent record of approvals since 2016, with a total approval rate of 78% across 3,091 decisions. While the rate has fluctuated annually, the most recent 12-month figure of 81% is consistent with the judge's long-term performance. An attorney can help you prepare your case for your hearing.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency across hearing offices. Because assignment is random, it is best to focus on preparing a strong case with the help of an experienced attorney.
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 vocational testimony you provide. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific requirements of the Social Security Administration.
