Judge Ratings for Orland Park IL Social Security Hearings (Nov 2024)
The Quality of Orland Park IL Social Security Hearing Judges
Bad news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Orland Park! Orland Park IL Social Security Hearing Judges have below average case approval ratings, by just a few percentage points. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Orland Park IL Judges are just a little below average, namely 47%. Could be better! However, the good news is that you may avoid the three judges that bring the whole hearing office’s average down. It appears that in Orland Park IL eight of the ten judges are below average, and that’s horrible. If you get one of those eight judges, you’re probably going to have an uphill battle. Read below to see who’s who. Note: we don’t count judges that have less than 50 dispositions in our analysis.
This page is for Orland Park IL Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Champaign, Chicago (SW Suburbs), Chicago Heights, Danville, Joliet, Kankakee, or Peru.
For other locations in Illinois click on:
- Judge Ratings for Chicago IL
- Judge Ratings for Evanston IL
- Judge Ratings for Oak Brook IL
- Judge Ratings for Peoria IL
Judge Ratings for Orland Park IL Social Security Hearings
Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Orland Park IL Social Security Hearing for Disability or SSI scheduled in the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO)? Do you want to know everything you can about the where, why and how of the hearing itself? You’re not alone, most of our clients desperately want to know every detail of their Disability Hearing so that they have the best chance of winning. You might have a hearing in Orland Park IL if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Champaign, Chicago (SW Suburbs), Chicago Heights, Danville, Joliet, Kankakee, or Peru. The Orland Park IL Social Security Hearing office is on South 94th Street across from Kohl’s. You can find the name of your judge on a hearing scheduled notice or call the number for the hearing office (at the bottom of this page). Here are all the judges’ statistics and other information that you need, and if you’re looking for a Disability Lawyer serving Orland Park IL, don’t hesitate to call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.
Judges’ Statistics
The following table is up to date as of November 2024:
Judge | Percent Approved | Total Dispositions |
Akers, Janet | 48% | 239 |
Bruce, David R | 51% | 518 |
Ellis, Deborah E | 22% | 150 |
Ferrer, Victoria A | 100% | 2 |
Giesen, Deborah M | 21% | 401 |
Hellman, Michael | 37% | 359 |
Kadlec, Kathleen | 5% | 153 |
Pendola, Michael | 90% | 356 |
Sayon, Karen | 50% | 431 |
Smith, Gregory | 64% | 474 |
Supergan, Patricia W | 43% | 363 |
Wilson, Shreese M | 25% | 17 |
Totals | 47% | 3463 |
Social Security Disability Hearing Tip: After your 50th birthday, the Social Security Disability rules become easier to meet because Social Security assumes you cannot adjust to a sedentary job due to your age, unless you have education, skills or experience that would allow you to adjust to a sedentary job. A sedentary job is defined as a job in which one sits for at least 6 hours out of an 8 hour workday and is required to lift and carry 5-10 pounds or less. So usually if the Judge decides that you’re limited to sedentary work then you are disabled. If you are 50 or over, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will ask the Vocational Expert (VE) to testify about your education, skills and experience to determine whether you can adjust to a sedentary job. A Disability Lawyer serving Orland Park IL, like us, can explain in more detail how your age, education and experience impact your case. Contact us for a free consultation or more information.
Case Approval Rates of Orland Park IL Social Security Hearing Judges
The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Orland Park IL Judges are at 47%. Still, many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. And many have very bad experiences in Orland Park because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. The judges there are doing the best they can. Do they get decisions wrong sometimes? Of course, they are human. Only those with very low case approval rates might be called biased.
Orland Park has the dubious honor of being home to the most difficult judge in the country, Administrative Law Judge Kathleen Kadlec who has a case approval rate of 5%. Yikes! That is actually the lowest in the country and begs the question: does Judge Kadlec have a negative attitude towards claimants? Some judges unfortunately let their political views or personal feelings cloud their judgement when it comes to people applying for disability benefits. We will probably never know whether Judge Kadlec is in that category but we hope she isn’t. Whatever the reason, you will probably have to appeal your case several times to the Appeals Council to win if you draw her as your Judge.
We can also see from the table that three other Judges are at 37% or below, so there is a significant chance you will draw one of these judges. If you draw a judge with at or below 37% approval rate then you will need a decent case to win, usually with lots of medical evidence and an opinion from a medical expert (like your doctor) that you are disabled. Make sure you get all of your relevant medical records and try to get a supporting letter from your doctor. To win with a judge at or under 37%, if you’re under age 50 you probably have to have a condition that is life-wrecking and stops you from working at all (not just part time) or even doing most things outside of the home. If you are age 50 or over you’ll probably need to have the preceding life-wrecking condition or at least a physical condition that prevents the ability to stand and walk almost totally. In both cases, you may lose if you have sedentary work experience. Click here to get more information about the rules, or a Disability Lawyer serving Orland Park IL, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.
Where Will My Hearing Be Held?
Most hearings will be held by phone, the judge’s clerk will call your phone and place you in a conference call. The whole hearing will be held via conference call, it’s actually very efficient. If you have a lawyer the evidence is submitted electronically before the hearing.
If you don’t have a lawyer you’ll have to bring your evidence to the hearing office or mail it in. You can request an in-person hearing, but we don’t advise it. If you do have a in-person hearing or need to submit evidence, check the SSA hearing office locator website. The Orland Park IL Social Security Hearing office is at 15401 South 94th Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60462. You’ll go through the metal detectors – don’t bring any weapons, even a pocket knife, or they won’t let you in. Then check in with the staff and wait to be called for your hearing. If you need to reach the Orland Park IL Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (877) 490-9530.
What should I do if I need help with my hearing?
If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over your case will almost always give you a postponement to try to get a lawyer. These hearings are very difficult without a lawyer, and the ALJs rarely get the evidence they need unless a lawyer is involved. If you need a Disability Lawyer serving Orland Park IL, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.