Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. While the national average approval rate is 58%, Judge LaRoche's recent performance shows a 40% approval rate. This data is drawn from a docket of 19,075 lifetime decisions, providing a view of his decision-making history. These figures represent past trends rather than a prediction for your specific 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 LaRoche Jr.'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 10 years on the bench, Judge LaRoche has maintained a steady decision-making pattern. His approval rates have ranged from 29% in 2016 to 41% in 2025. The latest reporting period shows a 40% approval rate, which remains consistent with his long-term career average. This stability suggests a predictable approach to evaluating your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge LaRoche Jr.'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 LaRoche Jr.? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Oak Park hearing office
The Oak 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 active caseload to process regional applications. You can visit the Oak Park Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is random. Within the Oak Park Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 36% to 80%. Because you cannot choose your judge, your focus should remain on the strength of your medical evidence.
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.