Oak Park Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Illinois · SSA Region 05
Approval Rate
67.7%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
267 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,920
awaiting hearing
ALJs
10
active judges
Oak Park 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn M Gruenburg | 84.4% | 15.6% | 73.8% | 443 | 502 |
| Beth J Contorer | 80.9% | 19.1% | 74.8% | 341 | 399 |
| Melody Paige | 79.1% | 20.9% | 64.9% | 402 | 460 |
| Janet L Alaga Gadigian | 75.7% | 24.3% | 62.4% | 338 | 384 |
| Kari Deming | 75.6% | 24.4% | 69.2% | 78 | 84 |
| Timothy J Christensen | 72.6% | 27.4% | 63.7% | 168 | 186 |
| Alice F Blackmore | 58.8% | 41.2% | 52.9% | 136 | 166 |
| Virginia Herring | 56.6% | 43.4% | 42.4% | 316 | 353 |
| Roy E Laroche JR. | 40.1% | 59.9% | 29.7% | 327 | 399 |
| Patricia S McKay | 39.2% | 60.8% | 31.1% | 286 | 337 |
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 Illinois. This office is in SSA Region 05 and currently has 10 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. 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 67.7%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. 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 39.2% to 84.4%, a 45-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 267 days. There are currently 1,920 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 192 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 56.5%. 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 8 months and 267 days average processing time, claimants at Oak Park can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Oak Park have collectively issued 2,835 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 284 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 78 to 443 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 39.2% to 84.4%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 56.5%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
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 17 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.