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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
CHICAGO
Avg processing
292days
+26 vs national
Processing time
292
9.7 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
3,135
FY receipts
3,021
FY dispositions
2,350
Active judges
10
Video hearings
5%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
53.9%
-3.8 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.29
Growing
Rank
#138
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 10 judges
39%
69%
0%Median 55.6%100%
At CHICAGO, approval rates range from 39.3% (Mellman, Nathan) to 68.7% (Logan, Michael) — a 29-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 (55.6%), not the best case.
Judges at CHICAGO (10)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan, Michael | 68.7% | 278 | 191 | 87 | |
| Saame, Brian | 65.3% | 75 | 49 | 26 | |
| Suffi, Carla | 64.2% | 313 | 201 | 112 | |
| Skidmore, David | 61.0% | 267 | 163 | 104 | |
| Poulose, Mary Ann | 58.8% | 216 | 127 | 89 | |
| Laskaris, Bill | 52.4% | 319 | 167 | 152 | |
| Bridges, Kathryn | 50.4% | 234 | 118 | 116 | |
| Carey, Margaret A | 48.2% | 299 | 144 | 155 | |
| Garelick, Jordan | 39.4% | 284 | 112 | 172 | |
| Mellman, Nathan | 39.3% | 280 | 110 | 170 |