Approval rates
Judge Lee has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 19% over a decade of service, while the most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 24%. These figures are measured against the Newark Hearing Office's latest approval rate of 57% and the national average of 58%. These statistics reflect historical trends rather than predictions for 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 Lee'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 Lee has issued 14,385 decisions. The yearly trend shows a period of decline from 2016 through 2021, followed by a recent shift. The 2025 approval rate of 26% marks a change from the lower rates observed between 2021 and 2023. This recent trend may reflect changes in case mix or the quality of evidence presented in the courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Lee'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 Lee? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Newark hearing office
The Newark Hearing Office serves a significant volume of applicants throughout New Jersey. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a complex caseload that reflects the diverse needs of the region. You can expect a formal process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Newark Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is assigned randomly. Across the Newark bench, lifetime approval rates for the 6 judges range from 19% to 65%. While these differences exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent across all courtrooms.
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.