Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at the same time period to ensure a fair assessment. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Kathryn Bridges decided 350 cases. During this same window, the office, state, and national approval rates were 54%, 54%, and 58% respectively. These figures provide context for how your hearing may proceed.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Bridges'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
Since 2016, Kathryn Bridges has issued 3,030 decisions. The approval rate has fluctuated over this period, showing a decline in 2021 and 2022 before returning to higher levels in recent years. The 52% approval rate over the most recent 12 months aligns with the pattern observed since 2024. This recent trend reflects the current volume of cases and the evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bridges'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.
About the NHC Chicago hearing office
The NHC Chicago is the most recent office on record for Kathryn Bridges, with the last recorded decision there in July 2026. This office serves you and other claimants in Illinois and the surrounding region, supported by a bench of 19 judges. Over the 12-month window ending July 31, 2026, the office maintained an approval rate of 54%. You can view the NHC Chicago Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is NHC Chicago
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 19 judges whose most recent office on record is the NHC Chicago, 9 decided cases here in SSA's latest file. These judges show a wide range of approval rates, from 17% to 88% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. Your preparation remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Bridges's 52%. All five last decided cases in Illinois.
- 53% Approval rate, last 12 months Lana Johnson
- 54% Approval rate, last 12 months Bill Laskaris
- 56% Approval rate, last 12 months David R. Bruce
- 48% Approval rate, last 12 months Margaret A. Carey
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Gregory Smith
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Bridges and the three closest side by side →
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
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Kathryn Bridges's 52% approval rate is slightly below the 54% average for the NHC Chicago office. Peer judges at this office range from 17% to 88% in approval rates over the same period. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this judge's bench.
Yes, the approval rate has varied over the years. While the overall rate since 2016 is 47% across 3,030 decisions, the rate in the most recent 12 months is 52%. Understanding these trends is part of how an attorney can help you evaluate your case strategy.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a random workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
An approval rate is a probability cloud based on past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you provide. An attorney can help you gather the necessary documentation to build a strong case for your hearing.
