Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's history requires looking at the broader context of their career. Judge Kenneally's 65% lifetime approval rate is supported by a substantial docket of 22,164 decisions, providing a stable baseline for comparison. In the most recent reporting period, your 66% approval rate tracks with the local office average of 65% and remains 7 percentage points higher than the national average. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your individual 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 Kenneally'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Kenneally has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. After an initial period of higher approval rates in 2016, the data shows a stabilization in the mid-60% range, with recent years showing a steady pattern of decision-making. The latest reporting period reflects a continuation of this long-term trend, suggesting that your current approach is well-established. This consistency provides a predictable environment for you to present your evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kenneally'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 Kenneally? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Jersey City hearing office
The Jersey City Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across New Jersey as part of a regional network dedicated to processing disability appeals. This office manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges, maintaining an office-wide latest approval rate of 65%. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on the specific medical documentation and vocational evidence presented in your file. You can visit the Jersey City Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Jersey City Hearing Office, individual lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 47% to 81%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence remains the most effective way to prepare for your hearing.
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.