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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
CHICAGO
Region 05Rank #136 of 160
Avg processing
289days
+25 vs national
Processing time
289
9.6 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
3,009
FY receipts
2,566
FY dispositions
2,021
Active judges
8
Video hearings
5%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
55.4%
-2.4 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.27
Growing
Rank
#136
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 8 judges
40%
70%
0%Median 56.9%100%
At CHICAGO, approval rates range from 40.0% (Mellman, Nathan) to 69.9% (Logan, Michael) — a 30-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (56.9%), not the best case.
Judges at CHICAGO (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan, Michael | 69.9% | 229 | 160 | 69 | |
| Suffi, Carla | 66.8% | 247 | 165 | 82 | |
| Skidmore, David | 62.8% | 215 | 135 | 80 | |
| Saame, Brian | 62.3% | 61 | 38 | 23 | |
| Laskaris, Bill | 51.4% | 247 | 127 | 120 | |
| Carey, Margaret A | 49.8% | 235 | 117 | 118 | |
| Garelick, Jordan | 43.6% | 195 | 85 | 110 | |
| Mellman, Nathan | 40.0% | 225 | 90 | 135 |