Approval rates
Judge O'Leary maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60%, which compares to the most recent Newark Hearing Office average of 57% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 12,980 lifetime decisions. While this judge's rate is 4 points below the state average of 64%, these aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predictions for 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 O'Leary'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 a five-year tenure, your judge's approval rate has fluctuated, peaking at 65% in 2019 before shifting to 53% in the most recent reporting period. This trend reflects the complexities of the Social Security Administration hearing process and potential changes in the types of cases assigned to the bench. These patterns often result from shifts in case mix or evidence quality rather than a change in judicial philosophy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge O'Leary'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 O'Leary? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Newark hearing office
The Newark Hearing Office serves a significant population across New Jersey, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 57%. You can visit the Newark 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 Newark office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 40% to 65%. Regardless of which judge is assigned to your case, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent.
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.