Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader benchmarks helps you understand the environment of your upcoming hearing. Judge Pesaresi currently holds a lifetime approval rate of 61%, which compares favorably to the Newark Hearing Office latest rate of 57%. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 13,664 decisions, providing a stable statistical foundation. 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 Pesaresi'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 Pesaresi has maintained a relatively steady approval pattern. While the rate saw a notable increase to 71% in 2023, the long-term trend remains anchored near the 60% mark. This recent fluctuation may reflect changes in the specific mix of cases or the quality of evidence presented during those periods. The data suggests a consistent approach to evaluating your disability claim over the course of her tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pesaresi'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 Pesaresi? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Newark hearing office
The Newark Hearing Office serves a significant volume of claimants across New Jersey, managing a busy docket with a team of 6 ALJs. The office currently reports a latest approval rate of 57%, reflecting the regional trends in disability adjudication. You should be prepared for a formal process focused on detailed medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Newark 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 Newark Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 40% to 65%. This variance highlights why your individual case strategy is more important than the specific judge assigned to your file. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.