Who decides cases at this office
The panel at this office consists of 4 judges who demonstrate a moderate spread in their allowance rates, ranging from 39% to 79%. This variation means that while the office average is 57%, your specific outcome can be influenced by which judge is assigned to your case. Because judges weigh evidence differently, your file must be robust enough to stand up to the specific scrutiny of the judge you draw.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bernadette Freeman | 83% | 7,321 | |
| 2 | Steven H. Templin | 81% | 6,030 | |
| 3 | William J. Mackowiak | 81% | 21,332 | |
| 4 | Claudia Travis | 74% | 4,788 | |
| 5 | James A. Horn | 64% | 558 | |
| 6 | Joel G. Fina | 61% | 25,770 | |
| 7 | Robert M. Senander | 61% | 6,147 | |
| 8 | John K. Kraybill | 56% | 3,658 | |
| 9 | Janice M. Bruning | 54% | 34,256 | |
| 10 | Edward P. Studzinski | 34% | 32,459 |
Heading to an ALJ hearing? Get a free case review to prepare for your upcoming hearing.
Free Benefits ReviewHow long you'll wait
At Oak Brook, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 7 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Going to your hearing
Hearings in Oak Brook move at a steady pace, so you should prioritize submitting updated medical records as soon as they become available. The hearing itself typically involves you sitting before an ALJ to answer questions about your limitations. A vocational expert is often present to testify on whether jobs exist that fit your specific physical or mental restrictions. You should bring a clear, updated list of your medications and their side effects, along with any daily-activity logs that document your struggles. Because there is a strict evidence-submission deadline, you cannot rely on bringing new documents to the hearing room. Your final decision will arrive by mail several weeks after the proceedings conclude.
With a 7-month wait time, you have a limited window to ensure your file is complete before your hearing date arrives. Many people use this time to simply wait, but an experienced attorney uses it to pressure-test your medical evidence against the requirements of the Social Security Administration. By identifying gaps in your record early, you can avoid the common pitfalls that lead to denials.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Oak Brook, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.