Approval rates
Judge Pendola's approval record is built on 17,463 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his 85% approval rate outpaced the Orland Park office average of 46% and the national average of 58%. These figures show how his recent decision-making compares to broader regional and federal benchmarks. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting outcomes 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 Pendola'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Pendola has shown an upward trend in approval rates. While he began his tenure with a 43% approval rate in 2016, his performance reached 88% in 2025. This shift suggests a consistent approach to evaluating evidence in recent years. The latest period reflects a continuation of this pattern of high approval, which remains distinct from his earlier career data.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pendola'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 Pendola? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Orland Park hearing office
The Orland Park Hearing Office serves a significant population in Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse range of cases that require documentation of medical and vocational evidence. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your specific impairments and work history. You can visit the Orland Park Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your specific judge is determined by random selection. Within the Orland Park office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 33% to 70%. This variance underscores why the judge you are assigned can influence the flow of your hearing. For preparation purposes, the guidance 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.