Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both lifetime averages and recent trends. Judge Johnson maintains a 52% lifetime approval rate across 23,539 lifetime decisions, which currently trails the Evanston Hearing Office average of 56% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the environment of your upcoming hearing. 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 Johnson'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 Johnson has seen her approval rate fluctuate, showing a high of 59% in 2016 and a low of 42% in 2022. The data indicates a generally steady pattern, with recent years showing a return to her long-term average after the 2022 dip. This consistency suggests that her approach to evaluating evidence has remained stable throughout her tenure. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Johnson'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 Johnson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Evanston hearing office
The Evanston Hearing Office serves a broad 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 and complexity of claims. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. See the Evanston Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Evanston Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 46% to 76%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.