Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Anglada maintains a lifetime approval rate of 56%, which aligns with the Chicago Hearing Office average of 56% and sits 2% percentage points below the national average of 58%. This data is drawn from 9,227 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Anglada's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over his 4-year tenure, Judge Anglada has demonstrated a shifting trend in his approval patterns. While his early years on the bench showed approval rates in the 56% to 59% range, the most recent reporting period saw a decline to 48%. This variation can occur due to changes in the complexity of cases or the specific medical evidence presented. The recent period reflects a departure from his earlier, more consistent approval levels.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Anglada's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Anglada? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Chicago hearing office
The Chicago Hearing Office serves a large population across Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 56%, reflecting regional trends in case outcomes. You should be prepared for a formal administrative process that focuses heavily on your medical documentation. You can see the Chicago Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Chicago Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 69%. Because of this variance, understanding the landscape of your local office is a standard part of your case preparation. You can find more information on the Chicago Hearing Office page.
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.