Next Meeting, Friday, June 23, 2023
at 12 Noon.
Meetings are at 12:00 Noon, pre-pandemic held at Marina Jack Restaurant, located at 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota — on the beautiful Sarasota bayfront, one traffic light south of the John Ringling Causeway just west of US 41 (Bayshore Drive). We’re upstairs in the spectacular Bayfront Room. Valet Parking is available ($1 per car plus gratuity if desired).
We are returning to in-person meetings!
June Speakers:
James Bennett, John Alexander,
Richard Weingarten
“War Stories: Tales From The Legal Trenches”
ABOUT JAMES BENNETT:
Born, raised, and public schooled in Montclair, New Jersey, Jim Bennett graduated from Princeton University and Stanford Law School, going on to clerk for the Hon. John J. Francis of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. After several years in private practice in Newark, NJ, he went
in-house as international corporate counsel for twenty years at a number of Fortune 500 companies until his final position as Vice President and International Counsel of the Revlon Health Care Group was eliminated by acquisition. He then went out on his own ultimately acting as outside general counsel for a number of
corporate clients and individuals, before serving as Interim Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Southern New England. Moving to Florida in 2006, he retained his position as EVP, General Counsel and Secretary for Palladium USA, Inc., the local subsidiary of a European real estate developer, now engaged in tax-credit housing in Texas. He is on the board of WEDU, the Tampa-based public TV/streaming media company under the PBS
system, and was a member of the Venice City Council from 2009 to 2015, serving as its representative to the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, and its chair for the 2014-15 term.
ABOUT JOHN ALEXANDER:
John is a graduate of Ohio State and Case Western Reserve University, where he was a member of the law review. He clerked for a federal district court and then engaged in general practice in Ohio.
ABOUT RICHARD WEINGARTEN:
Richard received his BA and JD from St. John's University. He has held a variety of legal and executive positions including City Judge in Yonkers, NY, Executive Director of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency and Adjunct Professor at Long Island Graduate School of Community
Health and Health Administration. He also served as a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force Reserves.
We welcome local or visiting retired attorneys who are interested in learning more about our organization. However, advance reservations are required.
You may contact us using the form below or email us at: ARAS271@comcast.net
Call our President, Judith Starr directly at 703-472-5783.
We look forward to hearing from you!






At our January 27, 2022 luncheon meeting at Marina Jack Restaurant, Gerald J. (Jack) Robinson and David E. Morrill presented a lively, enlightening debate exploring "Can Union Dues Be Unconstitutional Compelled Speech?" (revisiting U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association). Their program was enjoyed by more than 65 members and their guests.
In the photo left to right: Jack Robinson, former
ARAS President Bernie Ehrlich, and David Morrill.


At our February 24, 2022 luncheon meeting at Marina Jack Restaurant, Chief 12th Circuit Judge Charles E. Williams spoke to a packed house on "A View from the Bench: Updates, Reflections and Observations."


At our March 31, 2022 luncheon meeting at Marina Jack Restaurant, Dr. Jan Schneider spoke to another packed house on
"Federal Benefits for the Aged
and Others in Need."
Click the icon
to read further
important details
about the luncheon
and other interesting information in the
most recent
newsletter.


At our October 27 luncheon meeting,
Dr. Robert Barylski spoke on "Vladimir Putin: Making Russia Great Again."