Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader averages provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Moore maintains a lifetime approval rate of 47% based on 17,394 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 46%, compared to the national average of 58% and the Jersey City office average of 65%. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting 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 Moore'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 9 years on the bench, Judge Moore has seen her approval rates fluctuate, with a period of higher approvals around 2019 and 2020 followed by a decline in 2021 and 2022. More recently, the data indicates a stabilization, with the rate holding near 47% to 48% over the last three years. This trend suggests a consistent approach to case evaluation in the current period, providing you with historical context for the courtroom you are entering.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Moore'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 Moore? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Jersey City hearing office
The Jersey City Hearing Office serves a significant volume of claimants across New Jersey, operating with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 65%, reflecting the local environment for disability claims. You can expect a review of medical evidence and vocational testimony during your proceedings at this location. You can visit the Jersey City Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes 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 range from 47% to 81%. This variance highlights why understanding the tendencies of your assigned judge is a standard part of thorough preparation. The guidance for your case remains consistent regardless of which judge you are 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.