Chicago Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Illinois · SSA Region 05
Approval Rate
56.5%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
7 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
251 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
2,060
awaiting hearing
ALJs
10
active judges
Chicago ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonny S Barezky | 79% | 21% | 75% | 100 | 124 |
| Brian Saame | 77.6% | 22.4% | 59.2% | 49 | 60 |
| Michael Logan | 72.6% | 27.4% | 61.8% | 288 | 352 |
| Carla Suffi | 63.6% | 36.4% | 55.6% | 324 | 386 |
| David Skidmore | 57% | 43% | 49.4% | 314 | 373 |
| Bill Laskaris | 56.2% | 43.8% | 35% | 377 | 445 |
| Margaret A Carey | 51.7% | 48.3% | 33.3% | 315 | 404 |
| Luke Woltering | 49.7% | 50.3% | 34.9% | 149 | 184 |
| Nathan Mellman | 46.2% | 53.8% | 36% | 325 | 383 |
| Jordan Garelick | 42.9% | 57.1% | 36.6% | 333 | 383 |
About the Chicago Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Chicago service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Illinois. The office is assigned to SSA Region 05 and has 10 active ALJs. With 10 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.
The office's average approval rate is 56.5%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. The rate aligns with national patterns, though individual judges at this office may vary above or below this average. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 42.9% to 79%, a 36-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 251 days. There are currently 2,060 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 206 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 47.7%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Chicago Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Chicago, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 7 months and 251 days average processing time, claimants at Chicago can expect a total timeline of roughly 15 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Chicago have collectively issued 2,574 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 257 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 49 to 377 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Chicago Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Chicago?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 42.9% to 79%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 47.7%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Chicago?
How long is the wait time at Chicago?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 15 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.