Legal Aid Society of Hawaii HOME

(In alphabetical order by first name)

ALISON ST. JOHN, SOCIAL SECURITY ADVOCACY PROJECT

Alison joined LASH in 2007, coming from the Legal Aid Society in Palm Beach County, Florida. She has handled Social Security cases for older and disabled individuals for the past 23 years. She represents clients at every level, from the initial application to the Appeal’s Council review. Alison’s duties include helping her client’s navigate the often-times complex maze that is the Social Security Administration. Her compassion and understanding of the process makes the whole experience less stressful. “So many times I see people who have lost their job due to illness or injury, are facing eviction or foreclosure because they cannot pay their bills, and are overwhelmed with the whole Social Security application process. I want to be a life-line to them, to explain the procedures, and offer my insight and experience to help them through this difficult time.”

Email: alstjoh@lashaw.org

ANGELA LOVITT, DIRECTOR OF TRAINING & SPECIAL PROJECTS

Angela Lovitt is currently the Director of Training and Special Projects as well as the AmeriCorps Program Director. A 1997 graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law, Angela has worked with the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii and the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse (NKA Domestic Violence Actions Center). Angela also teaches the Lawyering Skills Workshop at the William S. Richardson School of Law and volunteers as an assistant coach for law school’s Client Counseling team. When she isn’t working or teaching Angela can usually be found playing soccer, paddling, surfing or enjoying other outdoor activities.

ANNE REYNOLDS, ADVOCATE
Anne assists low-income individuals at each stage of the Federal disability claims process. She sustains a caseload of 75-100. Her duties include requesting and compiling medical records and evidence of disability, preparing reports and statistical data, performing island-wide outreach, and representing clients successfully at hearings.

CAROLANN ROWE, PARALEGAL

Carolann has been with the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii-Waianae Branch since July 1997.

CLARA G. JAVIER, PRO-BONO COORDINATOR
Bio TBA

CONNIE LIU, PUBLIC BENEFITS/GA-SSI SUPERVISING ATTORNEY
Connie heads the Public Benefits Unit and GA-SSI (General Assistance/Supplemental Security Income) Units. She supervises staff working on public benefits and social security advocacy cases. Connie is responsible for a caseload that includes general assistance appeals, temporary assistance to needy families, Medicaid and Medicare cases, and other areas of public benefits.

DANIEL POLLARD, GUARDIAN AD LITEM UNIT HEAD
Daniel supervises the Legal Aid Guardian Ad Litem Unit. A Guardian Ad Litem is a court appointed advocate for children subjected to child abuse or neglect. Legal Aid is the largest single provider of Guardian Ad Litem services in the State with at least 11 attorneys and several paraprofessionals doing work at least part time on this project. He also sits on a number of committees whose function is to improve the representation of abused or neglected children in the State of Hawaii. As a sideline, he supervises the legal work done on the Legal Aid adoption and guardianship cases.

DANIEL LOTT, SOCIAL SECURITY/DISABILITY ADVOCATE
Represented clients at Social Security Disability Denial Hearings and Overpayment Hearings. Represented clients at State of Hawaii Department of Labor Unemployment Denial Hearings. Represented clients at State of Hawaii Department of Human Services Disability Denial Hearings, Intentional Program Violation Hearings and State Tax Intercept Hearings. Worked on lawsuits regarding denial of Public Benefits in Hawaii State Circuit Court, Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, Federal District Court and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

DONNA CHU, CONTRACT PARALEGAL – KAUA'I OFFICE

Bio unavailable

Tel. 808-245-4728

EMIKO MEYERS, KAUA'I MANAGING ATTORNEY
Emiko Meyers graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 2003. In October 2003 she moved to Kauai to be the GA-SSI Paralegal for the Kauai office. In 2004 she took on the position of Americorps Attorney which she did for 2 years. In 2006 she took over the Kauai office as the Managing Attorney. She is licensed to practice in Washington and Hawaii. Emiko is involved in the local community and is currently the YWCA Board of Directors Vice-President. She is also the Chairperson for the Kauai Community Alliance which is the local Continuum of Care organization for Kauai. She paddles outrigger canoes for Niumalu Canoe Club during her free time and is happily married, a mother of one daughter and two dogs.
Tel. 808-245-4728
Email: emmeyer@lashaw.org

EVERETT WALTON, MANAGING ATTORNEY – HILO OFFICE
Everett received his J.D. and I..I.T. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1975. He was admitted to the bars of Hawaii, Palau and Federated States of Micronesia (active), and Oregon and Illinois (inactive). He engaged in the private practice of law in Illinois from 1975 – 1977, in Hawaii from 1977 to 1995 and in Oregon from 1995 to 1998. He was Assistant Attorney General, State of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia in 1999; Assistant Special Prosecutor, Republic of Palau, in 2000; and Special Prosecutor, Republic of Palau, from 2001 – 2008. Email: evwalto@lashaw.org

GARY MURAI, MAUI OFFICE - STAFF ATTORNEY
Mr. Murai has been licensed in all courts of the State of Hawaii and the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals since 1988. His practice is concentrated in family law, consumer law and administrative law. Mr. Murai joined the Maui Office of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii in 2008, after leaving private practice in Hilo, Hawaii.

Tel: 808-244-3731 ext 225

Email: gamurai@lashaw.org

JANET KELLY, MANAGING ATTORNEY - HOMELESS PROGRAM
Janet manages a federal grant to provide holistic legal service to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. She advises her clients on their legal rights and responsibilities; conducts outreach to beaches, shelters and community health centers; works to build partnerships with other homeless service providers; and writes renewal grants and annual progress reports. She is also a supervising staff attorney and practices in the area of government benefits, family, housing and consumer law.

JOANNA SOKOLOW, MANAGING ATTORNEY - KONA OFFICE
Bio TBA

KATHRYN XIAN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

& COMMUNICATIONS

Kathryn is an award winning organizer and filmmaker. She was one of the original organizers of the Multi-Ethnic Studies Program (MES) implemented in 1993 at Bard College. She is also the Producer/Director of critically acclaimed PBS documentary Ke Kulana He Mahu: Remembering a Sense of Place. She founded The Safe Zone Foundation, a non-profit organization, to produce educational multimedia projects. She is also the non-executive director of Girl Fest Hawaii, an annual multimedia festival and conference whose mission it is to prevent violence against women and girls through education and art. Kathryn is the recipient of the National Education Association’s 2005 Ellison Onizuka Human & Civil Rights Award and the Soroptimist International of the Americas 2006 Making a Difference for Women Award for her work in independent film and community organizing against sex-trafficking. Email: kaxian@lashaw.org

LARRY WEGGER, ADVOCATE GA TO SSI PROGRAM
Larry was the initial advocate in the GA to SSI Program when it started in 1996. He handles a caseload of around 100 cases advocating for welfare recipients in their quest to obtain SSI/SSDI disability benefits. He handles all levels of cases from initial to Appeals Council appeals. He has done outreach on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and conducts training segments to Department of Human Services case handlers twice a year. Prior to joining LASH, he worked for Social Security as a claims examiner for nearly 14 years handling initial, reconsideration and CDR claims. Originally from Wisconsin, he and his wife, Dawn, relocated to the islands in July of 1995. Larry is also a member of the Screens Actors Guild and has appeared in motion pictures, t.v. commercials and network t.v. including “Lost”.

M. NALANI FUJIMORI KAINA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Nalani joined Legal Aid in 1999 as a staff attorney on the island of Moloka`i, she managed Legal Aid’s Maui County Offices from 2001 – 2004 and was appointed Deputy Director in 2004. Nalani primarily practices in the areas of family law, child protection issues, elder law, public benefits, housing and consumer law. Nalani received her law degree from New York University School of Law and graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, with a degree in Sociology. She is also graduate of the Kamehameha Schools. Prior to joining Legal Aid, Nalani did death penalty appellate work through New York University’s Death Penalty Fellowship Program, assisted in the filing of a class action law suit for the sexual harassment of women inmates, clerked for a firm specializing in non-profit housing development and clerked with the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation.

MAIDEN E. TEMPLE, KONA OFFICE
STAFF ATTORNEY

Tel: 808-329-8331

Email: matempl@lashaw.org

MALIA TAUM-DEENIK, WAI'ANAE OFFICE

MANAGING ATTORNEY
Malia Taum-Deenik has been the Managing Attorney of the Wai`anae office since 1997.

MERRILL OKA, PROGRAM MANAGER
Merrill has been with Legal Aid for 2 1/2 years as its Program Manager. Before coming to Legal Aid, she worked for 5 years with the Hawai‘i Federal Health Care Partnership as its Project Officer. She also worked for 10 years with Congressman Neil Abercrombie as his Executive Assistant/Office Manager in Honolulu. Born into a military family, Merrill was able to see and experience many places, both in and out of the United States. She has lived in Hawai‘i for more than 40 years now. Her motto is K.I.S.S, laughter is a daily goal, and she firmly believes in what goes around comes around.

NICOLE FORELLI, MAUI COUNTY OFFICES

MANAGING ATTORNEY (LANA'I, MAUI & MOLOKA'I)

Nicole Forelli assumed the role of Managing Attorney for Maui County (Maui, Moloka’I and Lana’i) in the summer of 2004. Besides managing the day-to-day operations of the three island’s offices, Nicole also uses her extensive experience in family law to assist in child welfare matters, and other cases. Previously, Nicole was the Managing Attorney for the Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) formerly the Domestic Violence Clearning House and Legal Hotline, Maui Office. In addition to her experience in family law with DVAC, she prosecuted domestic violence cases with the Maui Prosecutor’s Office. Before moving to Maui, Nicole was an Assistant Attorney General on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for eight years, where she prosecuted all types of misdemeanor and felony cases. She also served as a staff attorney for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in its criminal motions division and was an associate at a prominent San Francisco law firm in its environmental law group. When Nicole isn’t creating greater access to justice for Maui’s community members, she is a wife, a mother and a tri-athlete. After extensive travels (include trips to Europe, Haiti, Bali, Thailand, Australia, China and more), the Midwest transplant has firmly rooted herself in Maui, along with her husband and two children. “Maui,” says Nicole, “provides [her and her family] the perfect compromise of lifestyles- not too far from family on the mainland; not as intense as the mainland; and a great place to raise kids and practice law.” She adds about her work at Legal Aid, “I look forward to furthering the reputation of Legal Aid in the Maui community and to creating more awareness of the services that Legal Aid provides.”

ROB PALIN, MANAGING ATTORNEY - INTAKE

HOTLINE & HONOLULU LIMITED SERVICES UNITS

Rob manages a staff of 22 intake attorneys and paralegals that screen applicants and provide counsel and advice on the state-wide toll-free Hotline. He also manages the limited legal services done by 6 AmeriCorps paralegals in the Center for Equal Justice in the Honolulu office. These limited services consist of teaching the client how to fill out and file their own legal papers, interpretation of legal documents, writing a letter or making a phone for the client or any other services that would help a client negotiate the legal system without full representation.

RUSS AWAKUNI, MANAGING ATTORNEY

(WAIANAE OFFICE) & HOUSING UNIT STAFF

ATTORNEY

Russ is an active member of the Committee on Overcoming Barriers to Access to Justice since its inception. He joined the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii in June 2008 as a staff attorney in the Housing Unit. In addition to those duties, he now also manages Legal Aid’s Waianae branch office. Russ received his law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California; and graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, with a degree in Finance.

Prior to joining Legal Aid, Russ clerked for both the Hon. Simeon R. Acoba and the Hon. Michael A. Town, prosecuted criminals as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, and practiced privately with Honolulu law firms and independently. He is a past President of the Young Lawyers Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association and a past Vice-Chair for the Nuuanu/Punchbowl Neighborhood Board. He was also the Senior Advisor to former City Councilman Jon Yoshimura and the Staff Attorney for State Senator Jill Tokuda.

RYKER WADA, CONSUMER LAW UNIT HEAD &

STAFF ATTORNEY- FAIR HOUSING
Ryker evaluates cases and counsels individuals regarding predatory lending, housing discrimination and potential foreclosures. When necessary, he drafts testimony regarding predatory lending for the Hawaii State Legislature. Ryker provides counseling and advice to home-seekers and housing providers regarding their rights and responsibilities under Fair Housing laws. He supervises attorneys and paralegals in Consumer Unit and represents clients in the areas of chapter 7 bankruptcy, debt collection defense, credit reporting violations, auto sales and other consumer issues. He also conducts education and outreach related to predatory lending, Section 8 Homeownership Voucher Program and the Fair Housing Enforcement Program.

SHEILA LIPPOLT, HOUSING UNIT HEAD
Sheila Lippolt was raised in Hawaii and graduated from Radford High School. She received a Bachelor of Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa and graduated from Richardson School of Law. She was admitted to the Hawaii Bar in 1988. She is a former public defender. She has previously been a docent at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and continues to be a volunteer mediator with the Mediation Center of the Pacific. She has one daughter, and three grandchildren. Her hobbies are Feldenkrais, traveling and art.

STACIA SILVA, MANAGING ATTORNEY (WINDWARD OAHU)

Stacia has been with the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i since 1997. Starting out as a staff attorney specializing in Social Security advocacy, she managed Legal Aid’s popular Social Security Advocacy Project for eight years before moving to the Windward branch office as its new managing attorney in late 2006.
Tel: 808-235-5343

Email: stsilva@lashaw.org

STEPHEN DUCK, SUPERVISING ATTORNEY – FAMILY LAW UNIT

Stephen supervises our family law unit. He is responsible for assisting low-income clients with a wide range of family legal issues, including divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, adoption, guardianship, and restraining orders. He provides services that range from counsel and advice through full representation at trial. Stephen also provides outreach services to potential clients in the local courts and community and gives family law training to Legal Aid staff.

TARA E. SHIBUYA, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY

Bio unavailble.

Tel. 808-536-4302

WAYNE KEAWE, COMPTROLLER
Originally from Honolulu, Wayne grew up in Venice, California where he graduated from Venice High School and went on to study engineering at the University of Southern California (USC). Wayne later transferred to the University of Hawai`i accounting department where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Accounting. Formerly employed at Consumer Tire and Controller for Big Way Department Stores, Wayne joined the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i in 1992.

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