Approval rates
Judge Toland's approval rate is measured against the broader context of the Jersey City Hearing Office and national benchmarks. While her lifetime rate stands at 57%, recent reporting shows a 66% approval rate, which is competitive with the office average of 65%. These figures are derived from a docket of 13,679 lifetime decisions accumulated over a decade of service. These statistics reflect historical trends rather than future outcomes.
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 Toland'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Toland has maintained a consistent approach to disability claims. Her yearly approval trends have fluctuated between a low of 48% in 2022 and a high of 66% in 2018 and 2025. This variability is common in Social Security Disability Insurance hearings and often reflects changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented. The recent uptick in her approval rate suggests a return to the higher end of her historical performance range.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Toland'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 Toland? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Jersey City hearing office
The Jersey City Hearing Office serves a significant population across New Jersey, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of 6 judges. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 65%, which is higher than the national average of 58%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history when appearing at this office. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Jersey City Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Toland is essentially random. Within the Jersey City Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 57% to 81%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your medical documentation is the most effective way to prepare for your hearing.
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.