Approval rates
Judge Fuller maintains a lifetime approval rate of 52% based on 21,753 decisions rendered over her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her 56% approval rate tracks closely with the state average but remains 6 percentage points below the national benchmark. These figures provide a statistical overview of her bench history, though they do not guarantee the outcome of any individual case.
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 Fuller'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Fuller has seen her approval rates fluctuate, showing a notable upward trend from 2022 through 2024 before adjusting to 57% in 2025. Her lifetime average of 52% reflects a decade of case management across five different hearing offices. The recent data suggests a period of consistent decision-making that aligns closely with the current office environment in Chicago. This pattern indicates that while her approach has evolved, it remains grounded in the evidence you present in your file.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Fuller'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 Fuller? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc Chicago hearing office
The NHC Chicago Hearing Office serves a broad population across Illinois and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims, with an office-wide latest approval rate of 51%. You can expect a structured environment focused on the thorough review of medical and vocational evidence. You can see the NHC Chicago Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the NHC Chicago office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 69%. This variance highlights why understanding the general landscape of your hearing office is useful, even though you cannot choose your judge. You can find more information on the NHC Chicago Hearing Office page.
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.