Approval rates
Judge Paige maintains a lifetime approval rate of 76%, which is higher than the latest national average of 58%. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded a 79% approval rate, outperforming the Oak Park office average of 67%. These statistics are derived from 24,811 lifetime decisions over a decade of service. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
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 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
Over a 10-year tenure, Judge Paige has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability claims. The approval rate has trended upward in recent years, reaching 80% in 2024 and 2025. This recent performance reflects a stable pattern of adjudication that remains above the office-wide baseline.
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.
Hearing with Judge Paige? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Oak Park hearing office
The Oak Park Hearing Office serves a broad population across Illinois. With a bench of 6 judges, the office currently reflects a latest approval rate of 67%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of medical evidence, as the office handles a diverse caseload. You can see the Oak Park 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Oak Park Hearing Office, individual lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 36% to 80%. Because of this variance, understanding the general environment of the office is helpful for your preparation.
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.