Bottom line
Judge Karen Shelton is an Administrative Law Judge at the Newark hearing office who decided 348 disability cases in the most recent full fiscal year (FY2025), approving 59.8% — about 1.5 points above the 58.3% national average. Across 3 years of available data (FY2023–FY2025, 495 decisions), the approval rate has ranged from 59.8% (FY2024) to 64.6% (FY2023), for a lifetime approval rate of 60.4%. Past approval rates describe patterns, not predictions: your outcome depends on your medical evidence, your testimony, and your preparation — which is exactly why, in front of a favorable judge, preparation and representation carry more weight, not less.
Approval rate over time
Judge Shelton's approval rate by fiscal year (FY2023–FY2025), compared with the national average. Annual rates move with case mix; the long-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision breakdown
| Outcome | Judge Shelton | Newark office | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved | 59.8% | 56.8% | 58.3% |
| Denied | 40.2% | 43.2% | 41.7% |
| Dismissed (of dispositions) | 14.7% | — | — |
Approval rate = fully + partially favorable decisions ÷ total decisions, excluding dismissals. Dismissal rate is shown as a share of all dispositions.
How Judge Karen Shelton decides cases
In the most recent full fiscal year, Judge Karen Shelton approved 59.8% of decided cases, against a 56.8% Newark office average and a 58.3% national average. The fully favorable rate of 44.3% means that when this judge approves, the award is usually fully favorable rather than partial. Combined with a notable dismissal rate (14.7% of dispositions), the docket profile suggests a judge who decides cases on the record. Over FY2023–FY2025, the rate has ranged from 59.8% to 64.6% and has held roughly steady most recently — the long-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Preparing for a hearing with Judge Shelton
These fundamentals apply to any ALJ hearing — and matter more in front of a judge whose approval rate sits near or above the national average:
- 1Bring a longitudinal treating-physician record. Consistent notes spanning your disability period beat any single exam. One month of records is rarely enough.
- 2Don't rely on a consultative exam alone. If your file is built around a one-time CE, expect detailed questioning. Add treating-source statements.
- 3Prepare for daily-activity questions. Honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that contradict your medical record — in either direction — hurt credibility.
- 4Expect vocational-expert testimony. A VE will testify about jobs someone with your limitations could do. Your Disability Representative should be ready to cross-examine.
- 5Know your exhibit file. Review everything SSA has before the hearing; missing records are the most common preventable problem.
Why representation matters
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37 (population-wide average; individual outcomes vary). Of claimants who win at ALJ hearings, the large majority had representation.
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About the Newark hearing office
Judge Shelton is one of 11 Administrative Law Judges at the Newark hearing office, which approves about 56.8% of decided cases office-wide. Case assignment is effectively random — you cannot choose your judge, which is why office-level context matters.
Other judges at Newark
Frequently asked questions
Methodology
Statistics on this page are derived from the U.S. Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations public disposition data. Approval rate is calculated as fully plus partially favorable decisions divided by total decisions, excluding dismissals. National and office averages are pooled from the same dataset. These figures describe historical decision patterns for a reporting period and are not predictions of any individual case outcome. Disability Path is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration.