Join us for French wine (of course)  and American Cheese!

Add just one more event celebrating the 250^th birthday of America’s revolution to your calendar. But this one will be a tad different!

Speaker Prof. Julie Werner-Simon, JD, LLM, a longtime member of the Alliance Française in Philadelphia, will reprise a one-hour talk she delivered this summer, in Vichy, France for the Bourbonnais aux Amériques & Cavilam Alliance Française. The multi-media, dramatic and interactive presentation got rave reviews there.  Werner-Simon, a former federal prosecutor, law professor (here at Drexel and at University of Southern California Gould School of Law) and former constitutional law fellow, with her colleague attorney Omer Ilter, have culled out documented “gold nuggets” from history between the two nations.  

Attorney Omer Ilter, co-author of this presentation and former student of Prof. Werner-Simon will make a video appearance.
Ilter, is an international lawyer licenced in California and practices civil litigation. He was admitted to California State BAr in 2024, and the Istanbul Bar of Turkey in 2021. He received his LLM from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2024. Ilter has been published in  America on subjects to include : international law and diplomacy, federal regulations and legislation. 

Think history is boring?  Think again & buckle up! 

Did you know that ?

 1) The French (Louis 16) sent “secret support” to the fledgling American revolutionaries during the revolution (very much like FDR aiding the British before December 1941) until Louis was sure that the Americans would win? What battle was that?  You will find out. Plus, a descendant of the actual battle that caused Louis to go overt with aid - will be in attendance at the presentation. 
2) Did you know that Le Marquis de La Fayette named one of his children “George Washington” and that when the Marquis returned to the U.S. (50+ years after the American Revolution) at the invitation of Pres. James Monroe, that La Fayette encouraged Philadelphians to embrace historic preservation of the sites where American independence was crafted? (Independence Hall is preserved due to Philadelphians heeding his call). 
 3) Did you know that the French architect whose imprint is on Philadelphia and Washington D.C., got into a fight with Thomas Jefferson and lost the commission to formally design D.C.?  (The architect who also fought in the revolution and is buried in D.C.) 

This and much more will be shared in a lively, uplifting and interesting view of Franco-American history. 

Event Information

Date : Friday,  October 30, 2026
Time : 6:30-8.00pm
Location : 1420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia PA 19102
Language : English, French
Cost : $15 AF Members / $20 Non Members