Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. While the national average approval rate sits at 58%, Judge Sharrard maintains a lifetime approval rate of 47% across 18,505 lifetime decisions. Her latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 48%, which is 4 percentage points below the current office average. 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 Sharrard'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 decade on the bench, Judge Sharrard has seen fluctuations in her approval patterns. Her yearly data shows a rise from 44% in 2016 to a peak of 64% in 2023, followed by a recent adjustment to 49% in 2025. This 18,505 lifetime decisions volume suggests a consistent approach to case evaluation. The recent shift in her approval rate reflects a return toward her long-term average after a period of higher allowance activity.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Sharrard'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 Sharrard? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc Chicago hearing office
The NHC Chicago hearing office serves a significant volume of claimants throughout Illinois and the surrounding region. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a complex caseload that requires rigorous adherence to disability standards. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 51%, reflecting the diverse nature of the claims processed here. You can see the NHC Chicago Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is typically selected at random. Across the NHC Chicago office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 69%. Because of this variance, the specific judge assigned to your case can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the 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.