Approval rates
Judge Bretthauer has presided over 11,821 lifetime decisions during her 7 years on the bench. Her recent approval rate is 6 percentage points lower than the Evanston Hearing Office average and 8 percentage points below the national average. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of her tenure, though they do not account for the unique medical evidence in your specific claim.
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 Bretthauer'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 her 7-year tenure, Judge Bretthauer's approval rate has shifted. After maintaining rates near 55% through 2018, the data shows a decline to 41% by 2021, followed by a return to 55% in 2022. These trends reflect the variability of cases and evidence presented during those periods.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bretthauer'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 Bretthauer? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Evanston hearing office
The Evanston Hearing Office serves a large population across Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate that reflects the regional caseload. You can visit the Evanston 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the Evanston Hearing Office, the bench of 6 judges maintains lifetime approval rates ranging from 46% to 76%. While your assigned judge is determined by chance, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent.
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.