Approval rates
Judge Olson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 69% based on 10,529 total decisions. This performance is higher than the national average of 58% and sits 5 percentage points above the state average. While your latest reporting period shows a 71% approval rate, this is nearly identical to the South Jersey office average of 70%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's history, though they do not predict the outcome of your specific hearing.
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 Olson'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 her 7 years on the bench, Judge Olson has seen a clear evolution in her decision-making patterns. Starting with a 52% approval rate in 2019, her annual approval percentages trended upward, peaking at 83% in 2023 before reaching 75% in 2025. This trajectory reflects a shift in how cases are evaluated or a change in the complexity of the evidence presented. The recent 71% approval rate in the latest period reflects a continuation of this high-approval pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Olson'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 Olson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the South Jersey hearing office
The South Jersey Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across the region, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 70%. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on your medical documentation and work 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 assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the South Jersey Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 49% to 76%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can find more information on the South Jersey Hearing Office page.
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.