Approval rates
Judge Vodak maintains a lifetime approval rate of 55% based on 23,196 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 59%, which compares to an office average of 56% and a national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in his courtroom over the last decade. 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 Vodak'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Vodak has shown a consistent decision-making pattern. While your approval rate has fluctuated between 49% and 60% annually, the trend has remained relatively stable. The most recent period shows an approval rate of 59%, which is slightly higher than his long-term average. This recent activity reflects a continuation of his established approach to evaluating disability evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Vodak'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 Vodak? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Evanston hearing office
The Evanston Hearing Office serves a significant population across Illinois, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where evidence quality and medical documentation are critical to a favorable outcome. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on the specific requirements of the Social Security Administration. See the Evanston 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 assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Evanston Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates for the 6 judges range from 46% to 76%. This variance highlights why understanding the specific tendencies of your assigned judge is a common part of hearing preparation. You can find more information on the office's roster on the Evanston 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.