Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's record requires looking at the broader context of the Chicago hearing office. While the lifetime approval rate for Bonny S. Barezky stands at 82%, the office-wide lifetime range for all judges on record spans from 41% to 82%. This data is derived from 3,288 lifetime decisions, providing a look at her history. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Barezky. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 26, 2025. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Barezky'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
The approval trend for Bonny S. Barezky has shown variance since 2016, with yearly rates ranging from a high of 89% in 2021 to a low of 68% in 2023. Her overall lifetime record of 82% remains at the high end of the local bench. Recent data from 2025 shows a rate of 79%. These shifts often correlate with changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barezky'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.
Reading this because a claim was denied? Decode the letter — what the sentence means, what to file, and by when.
About the Chicago hearing office
The Chicago hearing office serves claimants throughout the Illinois region. It maintains a bench of 16 judges on record. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 54%, which provides a baseline for the local environment. You can see the Chicago hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Chicago hearing office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your specific judge is chosen at random. There are 16 judges on record at this office since 2016, 10 of whom reported in the latest SSA period. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, with lifetime records ranging from 41% to 82%.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Bonny S. Barezky has a lifetime approval rate of 82%, which sits at the top of the 41% to 82% range observed among the 16 judges on record at the Chicago office. An attorney can help you understand how to present your evidence to align with the expectations of this specific bench.
Yes, her approval rate has fluctuated, reaching 89% in 2021 and 68% in 2023 before moving to 79% in 2025. These variations are common in high-volume dockets, and an attorney can help you prepare for the specific evidentiary standards that may be influencing these recent trends.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases randomly to ensure efficiency, so you should be prepared to present a strong case regardless of who is assigned to your hearing. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of the judge assigned.
A hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. Having an attorney can help you organize your medical evidence and prepare your testimony to ensure your case is presented clearly.
A judge's lifetime approval rate is a reflection of past decisions, not a guarantee of your outcome. Because Bonny S. Barezky has decided 3,288 cases, her history provides a useful reference point, but your success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and legal representation. An attorney can help you evaluate your case strengths.