Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to regional and national benchmarks provides helpful context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Hall-Keith’s lifetime approval rate of 82% stands in contrast to the current Oak Park Hearing Office average of 67%, the state average of 56%, and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 12,425 lifetime decisions. 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 Hall-Keith'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 9-year tenure, Judge Hall-Keith has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability claims. Her approval rates have remained stable, with a peak in 2021 at 91% and a 2024 rate of 89%. While yearly fluctuations occur, the data shows a sustained pattern of high approval relative to broader office benchmarks. These trends reflect her long-term consistency in evaluating evidence and medical documentation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hall-Keith'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 Hall-Keith? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Oak Park hearing office
The Oak Park Hearing Office serves a significant population in Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse range of cases, reflecting regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on the specific medical evidence presented in your file. You can visit the Oak Park Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Oak Park office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 50% to 82%. Because assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare for your hearing.
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.