Part 2 of HSBA's Disaster Legal Response Series: Navigating the FEMA process and Vital Document Replacement

Date/time:

Wednesday, April 29, 12:00pm-1:00pm

Location:

Live Webcast

Via your HSBA Account, "My Learning"

CLE Credits:

1.0 CLE Credits

Pricing: (Please see how to Register below)

$45 for HSBA Members: Live in Person or Live Webcast

*$55 for Non-Members: Live in Person or Live Webcast

*$0 for Law Students with HSBA Law Student Card

Parking:

There is limited parking in our structure, but we do not validate parking. We recommend parking in Ali'i Place Parking Garage across the street from the district court.

Materials will be emailed to you later towards the event.

Cancellation/Refunds: Cancellation requests must be received (in writing to cle@hsba.org or mail) by Wednesday, February 18, 2026, for a full refund. There will be no refunds for No-Shows.

Summary:

This is the second CLE in the HSBA’s Disaster Legal Response series, which will overview the FEMA process, including eligibility for disaster related damage assistance, common procedures, and appeals. Additionally, this CLE will cover steps in obtaining vital documents (civil legal documents) post disaster. 

Moderator:

Catherine Betts

Cathy Betts currently serves as the Executive Director for the Hawaii State Bar Association, a role she took on in May 2024.

Prior to leading the HSBA, Ms. Betts served as the Director of the Hawai‘i Department of Human Services where she continued to further the department’s vision through her experience, advocacy, and commitment to helping the people of Hawaii. She served as the deputy director from 2017 through August 2020.

Prior to serving as deputy, she successfully lead the Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women for nearly six years and oversaw several legislative and policy successes including: the final passage of the Compassionate Care Act, which ensures rape victims have access to emergency contraception emergency rooms in Hawai‘i; various state Title IX reforms to ensure Hawaii continues to protect and preserve the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink's legacy; protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; reforms for temporary restraining order process; and increased training on gender based violence. Betts has also practiced in government and private legal practice since 2006.

Betts earned her BA in Sociology from the University of California at Los Angeles and her juris doctorate from the University of Hawai‘i, William S. Richardson School of Law, where she served as the Patsy T. Mink Legislative Fellow in the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye's Washington D.C. office.

She also sits on the Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts. She formerly served on the Board of Directors for Hawaii Women Lawyers, Hawaii Women in Filmmaking, the National Association of Commissions for Women, and the Board of Directors for the Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association. She previously chaired the HSBA Diversity, Equality, and the Law Committee (DEAL).

Betts was recognized as one of four YWCA Women's Leader Awardees in 2020. In February 2021, the Hawai‘i Women’s Legal Foundation presented Betts with the Rhoda Lewis Award in recognition of her extraordinary contribution and commitment to public service. Betts was also awarded the Soroptomist International Ruby Award for Central O’ahu in 2018 and was one of six grantees of the United States Department of Labor’s Paid Leave Analysis grants in 2016.

Panelists:

Reiko Kato

Reiko Kato, Esq. is a Staff Attorney at the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center at Legal Aid Society of Hawaii. She currently serves as an Equal Justice Works Disaster Resilience Program Fellow, where she focuses on providing disaster relief legal services to immigrants affected by the 2023 Maui Wildfires. Her practice encompasses a broad range of immigration and legal matters, including disaster-related document replacement for naturalization/citizenship certificates, permanent resident cards, and I-94s; U nonimmigrant status and VAWA self-petitions for crime victims and DV survivors. 

Being a native of Japan, she earned her first law degree at Hokkaido University before furthering her legal career in the U.S.

David Kopper

David Kauila Kopper is the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi’s oldest and largest non-profit law firm, whose mission is to address critical legal needs in the pursuit of fairness and justice. Dedicated to finding collaborative solutions to meet the legal needs of his community, Kopper supports LASH’s over 100 advocates and mission staff who serve Hawaiʻi’s most vulnerable populations across 11 offices statewide. 

Following the 2023 Maui Wildfires, Kopper and LASH were active in collaborating with local and national partners to provide legal services, education and information to those impacted by the fires. Originally from Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island, 

Kopper is a recent Omidyar Fellow (Cohort IX).

Register:

HSBA Members: "Log In" to your HSBA account (do not create a new account) to register online with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover.

HSBA members paying by check or prefer to use the form: Please download paper registration and submit to the HSBA to register. Form of payment must be received with registration to process.

*Non-HSBA members: Please download paper registration and submit to the HSBA to register. Form of payment must be received with registration to process.

*Law Students: You must have an HSBA student card; or if not, you may obtain one by going to HSBA Bar Card | HSBA Please download paper registration and submit to the HSBA to register.

ADA Accommodation: In Accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you require accommodation for a disability, please contact us by email at cle@hsba.org; or by phone at 537-1868 and ask for the CLE Department before purchasing the program.

Questions? Please contact HSBA CLE Department at 537-1868 or CLE@hsba.org.