Approval rates
Judge Patterson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 79%, which stands 9 percentage points above the current South Jersey office average and 21 points above the national average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 3,814 lifetime decisions, providing a clear view of her historical decision-making tendencies. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not 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 Patterson'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 3-year tenure, Judge Patterson's approval rate has shifted from 94% in 2023 to 77% in 2025. This trend reflects a stabilization of her docket as she has processed 3,814 cases. The latest period shows an approval rate of 78%, which remains consistent with her long-term performance. This pattern suggests a steady approach to evaluating your evidence and medical documentation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Patterson'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 Patterson? 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 applicants throughout the region, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 70%, which is higher than both the state average of 64% and the national average of 58%. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of your medical and vocational evidence. See the South Jersey Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the South Jersey office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 79%. Because of this variance, understanding the general environment of the office is helpful for your preparation. 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.