Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how your judge’s approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. His 63% lifetime approval rate is higher than the 56% latest approval rate seen at the Evanston Hearing Office and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from a docket of 8,120 lifetime decisions, providing a stable view of his historical decision-making. 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 Dadabo'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
Throughout his 4-year tenure, your judge has shown a varied yearly trend. After an initial 55% approval rate in 2016, his decisions reached 71% in 2017, 65% in 2018, and 59% in 2019. These fluctuations are common as judges refine their approach to the complex medical and vocational evidence presented in SSDI hearings. The recent data reflects a shift from his peak, though he remains consistently above the office-wide average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dadabo'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 Dadabo? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Evanston hearing office
The Evanston Hearing Office serves a large population in Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a 56% latest approval rate, reflecting regional trends for Social Security disability adjudication. You can expect a formal process where your medical documentation and vocational testimony are weighed carefully. See 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. Within the Evanston Hearing Office, approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 46% to 76% across the 6 judges. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is essential. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.