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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
ORLAND PARK
Region 05Rank #82 of 160
Avg processing
258days
-6 vs national
Processing time
258
8.6 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,883
FY receipts
1,823
FY dispositions
1,769
Active judges
6
Video hearings
9%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
42.7%
-15.2 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.03
Growing
Rank
#82
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 6 judges
16%
59%
0%Median 45.3%100%
At ORLAND PARK, approval rates range from 15.7% (Kadlec, Kathleen) to 59.0% (Smith, Gregory) — a 43-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 (45.3%), not the best case.
Judges at ORLAND PARK (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith, Gregory | 59.0% | 339 | 200 | 139 | |
| Bruce, David R | 54.3% | 300 | 163 | 137 | |
| Sayon, Karen | 47.6% | 254 | 121 | 133 | |
| Hellman, Michael | 43.0% | 86 | 37 | 49 | |
| Akers, Janet | 24.9% | 253 | 63 | 190 | |
| Kadlec, Kathleen | 15.7% | 217 | 34 | 183 |