Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at the same timeframes to ensure a fair assessment of activity. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Brian Lucas decided 420 cases. This data is compared against the NHC Chicago office, state, and national averages for the same period. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting outcomes for your specific hearing.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Lucas'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
Since 2016, Brian Lucas has issued 3,304 decisions. His yearly approval trend has fluctuated, with his most recent 12-month approval rate of 59% differing from his 52% average since 2016. These fluctuations reflect the evolving nature of his docket rather than a fixed decision-making pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Lucas'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 NHC Chicago hearing office
NHC Chicago is the most recent office on record for Brian Lucas, with his last recorded decision there in July 2026. The bench includes 19 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with the office maintaining a 54% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. You can visit the NHC Chicago hearing office page to view the full roster of judges.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is NHC Chicago
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your judge is assigned randomly. Across the NHC Chicago office, approval rates vary among the 19 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. Among the 9 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 17% to 88% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Lucas's 59%. All five last decided cases in Illinois.
- 59% Approval rate, last 12 months Kevin Vodak
- 60% Approval rate, last 12 months Lovert F. Bassett
- 58% Approval rate, last 12 months Robert H. Schwartz
- 60% Approval rate, last 12 months Helen Valkavich
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Gregory Smith
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Lucas and the three closest side by side →
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
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Brian Lucas approved 59% of cases, which is higher than the 54% office average. Among the 9 judges in the latest file at this office, approval rates range from 17% to 88%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific tendencies of the judge assigned to your case.
Yes, his approval rate has shifted over time. While he maintained a 52% approval rate across 3,304 decisions since 2016, his performance over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, reached 59%. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific medical evidence.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a random workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned.
An approval rate is a statistical observation of past decisions, not a guarantee of a future outcome. Your success depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide to support your disability claim. An attorney can help you ensure your evidence is presented effectively for your hearing.
