Approval rates
Judge Shillin maintains a lifetime approval rate of 53% across her docket. Her performance remains consistent with her long-term averages, though it currently tracks 4 percentage points below the Newark office average. These figures are derived from 13,534 decisions, providing a statistically significant view of her bench activity. These rates reflect historical trends rather than specific outcomes for your case.
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 Shillin'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 decade on the bench, Judge Shillin has navigated various shifts in case volume and evidence requirements. Her approval rate experienced a peak in 2018 at 62% before seeing a decline toward 42% in 2023. The most recent data shows a recovery, with rates climbing to 55% in 2025. This fluctuation suggests that her decision-making remains responsive to the specific evidentiary standards of the cases you present.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Shillin'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 Shillin? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Newark hearing office
The Newark Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across New Jersey, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 57%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical documentation and vocational evidence when appearing at this office.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Newark Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the office's bench, lifetime approval rates range from 40% to 65%, reflecting the diverse approaches taken by different judges. Regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain the same.
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.