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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
OAK PARK
Region 05Rank #40 of 160
Avg processing
243days
-21 vs national
Processing time
243
8.1 months
Hearing wait
7.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,677
FY receipts
3,082
FY dispositions
2,314
Active judges
10
Video hearings
6%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
65.6%
+7.8 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.33
Growing
Rank
#40
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 10 judges
39%
87%
0%Median 71.4%100%
At OAK PARK, approval rates range from 39.3% (LaRoche, Roy) to 87.3% (Gruenburg, Dawn) — a 48-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 (71.4%), not the best case.
Judges at OAK PARK (10)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gruenburg, Dawn | 87.3% | 316 | 276 | 40 | |
| Paige, Melody | 85.9% | 269 | 231 | 38 | |
| Contorer, Beth | 81.3% | 251 | 204 | 47 | |
| Alaga-Gadigian, Janet | 80.3% | 142 | 114 | 28 | |
| Blackmore, Alice | 74.1% | 143 | 106 | 37 | |
| Horan, Patrick M. | 68.6% | 153 | 105 | 48 | |
| Herring, Virginia | 53.0% | 279 | 148 | 131 | |
| Mengesha-Brown, Trina | 48.0% | 221 | 106 | 115 | |
| McKay, Patricia S. | 39.9% | 208 | 83 | 125 | |
| LaRoche, Roy | 39.3% | 280 | 110 | 170 |