Approval rates
Judge Parkhurst has presided over 7,891 lifetime decisions during a 5-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, this judge maintained an approval rate that outperformed the NHC Chicago office average by 11 percentage points and the national average by 4 percentage points. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's history, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than 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 Parkhurst'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 5-year career, your judge's approval rate has shown notable variance, peaking at 73% in 2018 before adjusting to 58% in 2020. This trend reflects a dynamic approach to the Social Security Administration caseload, moving from a period of higher allowances to a more recent stabilization. The fluctuation in yearly data often mirrors changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented. These patterns demonstrate that the judge's decision-making is responsive to the specific evidentiary record of each claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Parkhurst'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 Parkhurst? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Nhc Chicago hearing office
The NHC Chicago Hearing Office serves a broad population across Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office operates under the standard SSA procedures for administrative hearings. You can expect a formal process where the focus remains on objective medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the NHC Chicago Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The NHC Chicago Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment is essentially random. The bench at this location is diverse, with lifetime approval rates among the office's 6 ALJs ranging from 41% to 69%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your own medical documentation. You can find more information on the NHC Chicago Hearing Office page.
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.