Approval rates
Judge Mackowiak maintains a lifetime approval rate of 81%, a figure derived from 18,406 total decisions during his 6-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate outperformed the Oak Brook Hearing Office average by 24 percentage points and the national average by 23 points. These statistics reflect a substantial volume of cases, offering a clear view of his historical decision-making tendencies. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Mackowiak'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 6 years on the bench, you can see a consistent pattern of approvals. While his annual approval rate saw a dip to 68% in 2018, the trend has since recovered, reaching 88% in 2021. This indicates that his recent decision-making remains well above his lifetime average. Such patterns suggest a judge who carefully evaluates the evidence presented in each file, with the recent uptick potentially reflecting shifts in case complexity or the quality of medical documentation you provide.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mackowiak'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 Mackowiak? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Oak Brook hearing office
The Oak Brook Hearing Office serves a significant population of applicants across Illinois, managing a high volume of disability cases. As part of the broader SSA network, this office adheres to federal regulations, including 20 CFR Part 404, which governs the evaluation of disability claims. You can expect a formal hearing process where your medical records and vocational testimony are central to the outcome. You can see the Oak Brook 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. Across the Oak Brook Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 34% to 83%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is vital to focus on the strength of your own medical evidence and testimony. The guidance for your preparation 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.