Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader trends. Judge Senander currently holds an approval rate that is 4 points higher than the Oak Brook Hearing Office average and 3 points higher than the national average. With over 5,351 decisions on the record, this data provides a stable look at his historical approach to disability claims. 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 Senander'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 2 years on the bench, Judge Senander has presided over a significant volume of cases. His yearly trend shows a shift from a 63% approval rate in 2016 to 59% in 2017. This pattern suggests a consistent approach to case evaluation, even as the broader caseload fluctuates. These figures reflect the judge's historical output rather than a rigid rule for your future proceedings.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Senander'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 Senander? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Oak Brook hearing office
The Oak Brook Hearing Office serves a large population across Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 57%. You should expect a professional environment focused on the specific medical evidence supporting your disability claim. 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the Oak Brook Hearing Office, the bench is diverse, with lifetime approval rates ranging from 34% to 83% among the 6 judges. Because assignment is essentially random, your focus should remain on building a robust medical record. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.