Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at the same time period to ensure a fair assessment. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Melody Paige's 84% approval rate sits above the 66% office average, the 60% state average, and the 58% national average. These figures are based on a significant volume of decisions, providing a clear view of recent activity.
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 Paige'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, Melody Paige has issued 4,266 decisions. The yearly approval rate has fluctuated, showing a generally steady pattern with recent activity trending upward. While the 84% approval rate over the most recent 12 months sits above the 78% record since 2016, the data reflects a consistent history of decision-making.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Paige'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 Oak Park hearing office
The Oak Park Hearing Office serves you in Michigan and the surrounding region. This office has a bench of 19 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on the evidence provided in your file.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Oak Park
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 9 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 40% to 86% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. There are 19 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 9 of them deciding cases here in SSA's latest file.
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 Paige's 84%. Three of them last decided cases in Michigan. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's Chicago region.
- 83% Approval rate, last 12 months Christopher Ambrose
- 86% Approval rate, last 12 months Dawn M. Gruenburg
- 82% Approval rate, last 12 months Beth J. Contorer
- 84% Approval rate, last 12 months Gabrielle R. Vitellio
- 81% Approval rate, last 12 months Heidi Southern
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 Paige 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, Melody Paige's 84% approval rate is at the higher end of the 40% to 86% range seen among the 9 judges deciding cases at the Oak Park Hearing Office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
Melody Paige has an approval rate of 78% across 4,266 decisions since 2016. While the rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, is 84%, the judge's history shows a steady pattern of decision-making. A qualified attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned.
An 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 medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible before your hearing.
