Approval rates
Judge Bassett maintains a lifetime approval rate of 76%, a figure derived from 23,830 total decisions over a decade on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded an approval rate of 56%, which aligns with the current Evanston Hearing Office average. These metrics provide a high-level view of judicial activity, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than 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 Bassett'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 a 10-year tenure, Judge Bassett has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. While your approval rate remained stable between 71% and 80% for much of this period, the data shows a peak in 2023 and 2024 before shifting in the most recent reporting cycle. This fluctuation often reflects changes in case complexity or the specific medical evidence you present. The latest period represents a transition in the judge's recent decision-making pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bassett'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 Bassett? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Evanston hearing office
The Evanston Hearing Office serves a broad population across Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 56% in the latest reporting period. You can expect a professional environment where your medical documentation and vocational evidence are central to the hearing process.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Evanston Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 46% to 76%. Regardless of which judge is assigned to your case, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain the same.
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.