Approval rates
The judge's 47% approval rate on record since 2016 sits within the 41% to 82% range observed among the bench at the Chicago office. In the most recent reporting period, the judge's 52% approval rate is 2 points lower than the office average of 54%. These figures reflect a consistent volume of decisions, providing a statistical baseline for your review.
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 Laskaris'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
The approval rate for Bill Laskaris has varied across the 3,747 decisions on record since 2016. After a period of lower approval rates between 2017 and 2019, the data shows an upward trend in recent years, reaching 56% in 2025. The latest fiscal year-to-date figure of 52% indicates the rate remains higher than the levels observed in the middle of the record window.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Laskaris'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.
About the Chicago hearing office
The most recent office on record for Bill Laskaris is the Chicago hearing office. This office maintains a bench of 14 judges who handle a high volume of disability claims. The office-wide approval rate in the latest reporting period was 54%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Chicago
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 14 judges whose most recent office on record is the Chicago office, and 8 of them decided cases here in the latest file from July 2026. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 41% to 82% on their records since 2016.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Judge Laskaris has a 47% approval rate on record since 2016, which falls within the 41% to 82% range of other judges whose most recent office on record is Chicago. An attorney can help you understand how to present your medical evidence to meet the specific standards of this office.
Yes, the approval rate for Bill Laskaris has fluctuated, showing a downward trend in the late 2010s followed by an increase in recent years. While the rate on record since 2016 is 47%, the most recent period shows a 52% approval rate. An attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might impact your hearing strategy.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency, making the assignment process random. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You, your attorney, and often a vocational expert or medical expert will participate to clarify your functional limitations. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony to ensure your limitations are clearly documented.
A judge's approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well your limitations are documented. An attorney can help you build a strong case that addresses the specific requirements for disability benefits.
