Approval rates
Judge Cerulli maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60% based on 12,647 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 58%, compared to the South Jersey Hearing Office average of 70% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding his bench, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predictions for individual hearings.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Cerulli'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
Over his 10 years on the bench, Judge Cerulli has shown a varied approval trend. After a period of lower approval rates between 2021 and 2022, the data indicates an uptick in 2023 and 2024 before stabilizing in the most recent period. This pattern suggests that his decision-making is responsive to the specific evidence and case mix presented in his courtroom. The recent data reflects a return to his long-term average after a period of fluctuation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Cerulli'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.
Hearing with Judge Cerulli? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the South Jersey hearing office
The South Jersey Hearing Office serves claimants across the region, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 70%, reflecting local standards for evidence and medical documentation. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the South Jersey Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration (SSA) assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Cerulli is essentially random. Across the South Jersey Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 76%. Because of this variance, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as looking at any single judge. The guidance for your case remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.