Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps you understand the environment of your upcoming hearing. While the national average for approval currently sits at 58%, Judge Johnson maintains a lifetime rate of 52%. This data is drawn from a significant docket of 9,137 lifetime decisions, providing a stable view of his decision-making history. 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 his 4 years on the bench, Judge Johnson has shown a varied approval trend. After an initial high of 61% in 2016, his annual approval rates shifted, settling into a range between 48% and 51% in more recent years. This pattern suggests a transition toward a more consistent approach following his first year of service. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern as his caseload has matured.
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.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Orland Park hearing office
The Orland Park Hearing Office serves a large population in Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 46% in the latest reporting period. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical evidence and vocational testimony. Visit the Orland Park 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Orland Park Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 33% to 63%. Because of this variance, understanding the local office environment is a standard part of your hearing preparation. The guidance for your case remains consistent 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.