Oak Park Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Michigan · SSA Region 05
Approval Rate
64.3%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
7 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
244 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
3,129
awaiting hearing
ALJs
12
active judges
Oak Park ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn Gruenburg | 86.2% | 13.8% | 77.5% | 493 | 578 |
| Melody Paige | 84.4% | 15.6% | 74.9% | 422 | 490 |
| Beth Contorer | 82.4% | 17.6% | 77.1% | 336 | 391 |
| Beth J Contorer | 76.8% | 23.2% | 75% | 56 | 64 |
| Janet Alaga Gadigian | 76.1% | 23.9% | 66.3% | 205 | 224 |
| Alice Blackmore | 73.6% | 26.4% | 70.1% | 197 | 239 |
| Patrick M. Horan | 66.7% | 33.3% | 61.7% | 180 | 210 |
| Virginia Herring | 53.2% | 46.8% | 40.9% | 423 | 470 |
| Trina Mengesha Brown | 49.2% | 50.8% | 38.5% | 65 | 73 |
| Patricia S. McKay | 41.4% | 58.6% | 33.9% | 333 | 396 |
| Roy Laroche | 39.9% | 60.1% | 27.3% | 373 | 426 |
| Roy E Laroche JR. | 33.3% | 66.7% | 24.4% | 90 | 99 |
Former Judges at Oak Park
These judges have no recorded decisions at Oak Park in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.
| Judge | Last Decisions Reported | Approval Rate | Total Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy J Christensen | April 2025 | 74.4% | 317 |
| Kari Deming | March 2025 | 74.6% | 236 |
| Ronald Herman | September 2024 | 92.7% | 205 |
| Jacqueline Y Hall Keith | June 2024 | 87.5% | 136 |
| Mark Sochaczewsky | May 2024 | N/A | 1 |
Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.
About the Oak Park Social Security Hearing Office
The Oak Park hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Michigan. This office is in SSA Region 05 and currently has 12 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 12 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 64.3%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. This higher-than-average rate reflects the combined decision patterns of all judges at this office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 33.3% to 86.2%, a 53-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 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 244 days. There are currently 3,129 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 261 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 55.6%. 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 Oak Park Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Oak Park, 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 244 days average processing time, claimants at Oak Park can expect a total timeline of roughly 15 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Oak Park have collectively issued 3,173 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 264 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 56 to 493 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Oak Park Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Oak Park?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 33.3% to 86.2%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 55.6%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Which judges hear cases at Oak Park?
How long is the wait time at Oak Park?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 15 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
What is the fully favorable rate at Oak Park?
How does Oak Park compare to other offices in the state?
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