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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
PHILADELPHIA EAST
Region 03Rank #139 of 160
Avg processing
293days
+27 vs national
Processing time
293
9.8 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
942
FY receipts
865
FY dispositions
979
Active judges
6
Video hearings
54%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
54.9%
-2.9 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.88
Shrinking
Rank
#139
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 5 judges
40%
71%
0%Median 52.9%100%
At PHILADELPHIA EAST, approval rates range from 39.7% (Lazzaro, Michele) to 71.5% (Wishnoff, Howard) — a 32-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (52.9%), not the best case.
Judges at PHILADELPHIA EAST (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wishnoff, Howard | 71.5% | 221 | 158 | 63 | |
| Preston, Susan | 71.5% | 228 | 163 | 65 | |
| Grunberg, Hope | 66.7% | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Johnson, Jessica Marie | 52.9% | 174 | 92 | 82 | |
| Watson, Nycole | 45.1% | 195 | 88 | 107 | |
| Lazzaro, Michele | 39.7% | 345 | 137 | 208 |