How does Morris Bart, a Louisiana personal injury lawyer, end up on a toddler’s birthday cake? A mom from Prairieville made it happen in 2015.
Her two-year-old, Grayson, was so taken with Bart’s TV ads that his birthday cake carried an icing photo of the lawyer, plus a cutout and a T-shirt. Bart told NPR it was “an unusual request, I must admit.”
That odd little moment fits the man. Bart has spent more than four decades making Louisiana remember his name. This biography follows him from Knoxville to the courtroom, using his own words wherever they exist.
Morris Bart in Brief
Morris Bart is a New Orleans personal injury lawyer, born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He’s listed as born December 6, 1948. His family moved to New Orleans in 1962. He earned his law degree from Loyola Law School in 1978. In 1980 he became the first attorney in Louisiana to advertise injury work on television. His firm now runs 15 offices across four states.
Morris Bart’s Early Life and Family Roots
Reference biographies say Bart and his sister were raised by Morris Bart Jr. and Hertha Rosenblum. Their story is worth a look.
Those biographies describe his father as a pilot who met Hertha while on leave in Europe. NOLA Family says she left Switzerland in 1946 after marrying an American Army officer. The couple settled in Knoxville, then moved to New Orleans about 15 years later for a business opportunity.
Hertha became a New Orleans fixture too. She began teaching yoga in the 1960s, one of only two instructors in the city. The job came by accident, because her first teacher fell ill and asked her to take over.
At 94, she still practiced daily and summed up her path with “Experience is the best teacher.” A headline cited in Bart’s Wikipedia entry says she later died at 100.
Bart has also talked about his early years in public. In 2017, he sat down with psychiatrist Dr. Nick Pejic on the It’s New Orleans show Mindset to cover his childhood, his rise and the source of his drive.
Morris Bart’s Education and First Job
Bart graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1975. He then earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in 1978. He joined the Louisiana Bar the same year.
Law school brought honors. He served as president of the Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, joined the Blue Key National Honor Society and won the American Jurisprudence award for academic excellence.
The timing helped him. On June 27, 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Bates v. State Bar of Arizona that states couldn’t ban lawyers from advertising routine services. Bart was about a year from his degree.
His first job came before any ad. A reference biography says he started as a staff attorney with the Orleans Public Defenders, then called the Orleans Indigent Defender Program.
The 1980 TV Ad That Made Morris Bart Famous
In 1980, Bart became the first attorney in Louisiana to advertise personal injury services on television. He was a sole practitioner then, sharing one secretary. By 2015, he said he had been on TV for 35 years, which squares with that start.
Other lawyers didn’t cheer. The Advocate reports that buttoned-up lawyers tried to knock him off the air. Bart argued, successfully, that he was simply using his First Amendment free-speech rights.
Bart still takes pride in being first. In a podcast interview, he also said he was the second or third lawyer in America to advertise injury work on TV. That fits a firm that calls him first in Louisiana.
Ads cost money. Bart and rival Gordon McKernan both estimate they spend $20 million to $25 million a year on advertising statewide. When McKernan pushed into New Orleans in early 2025, Bart added 10 to 20 more billboards and more TV time.
Bart keeps the business simple. On that same podcast, he said the hardest part of being a lawyer is getting business, and that it was true back then and is still true today.
What Morris Bart Has Said About His Career
Across podcasts, press profiles and social posts, the same themes keep coming back. They are the chase for clients, the thrill of court and the pull of giving.
On The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Bart described his younger self as a “young, ambitious, driven lawyer chomping at the bit.” He said the first step is to commit to advertising in a style you’re comfortable with. He’s also blunt about the field. After 40 years, he says, lawyer ads haven’t gotten much better.
Why injury law? “I like the excitement of going into court,” he told Biz New Orleans. He added that he likes the risk and reward of taking cases on contingency.
In 2020, WBRZ reported that Bart tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. “I am very lucky,” he said. He added that he would quarantine so he wouldn’t pass it on.
In April 2025, Gov. Jeff Landry said he was as tired of seeing Morris Bart as of seeing the GEICO lizard. Bart answered, “Maybe I should learn how to hunt?!!” The Louisiana Illuminator says that jab pointed to a turkey-hunting trip Landry took with McKernan.
That August, Landry sent a letter after signing his insurance bills. Bart said he was “looking forward to my rates going down.”
What This Means to Them, In Their Own Words
For Bart, the job comes down to three things. They are winning clients, standing in court and giving back. When he and his wife announced their Second Harvest gift, he said, “There is nothing more important than feeding people.”
The 2015 toddler story shows his lighter side. Bart told the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog, “I’m flattered by it all.” He also joked that the boy could grow into a future competitor.
He told Biz New Orleans that nothing satisfies him more than his philanthropic work. After all these years, he said, going to work still energizes him.
What Reporters Found That Wasn’t in the Interview
Interviews skip details, and reporting fills them in. First, the “first” claim has layers. Bart’s firm calls him the first attorney in Louisiana to advertise injury work on TV. Bart places himself among the first in the country. Both can be true.
Second, his age is murky. The listed birth date is December 6, 1948, which makes him 77 today. But WBRZ, citing the Advocate, gave his age as 67 in 2020, and the Advocate gave 72 in 2025. Those ages point to a birth year near 1952 or 1953.
Public records don’t settle it, so this article uses the listed date. It’s the same date in our net worth feature.
Third, one online profile says he was four when his family moved in 1962. That doesn’t fit any of those birth years, so we leave his age at the move out.
Fourth, the slogan has a backstory. Milwaukee Magazine reported that Bart and New Orleans ad consultant Richard Sackett spent hours brainstorming at Sackett’s home near Lake Pontchartrain, trying line after line until “One call, that’s all” stuck. The same story says Bart ran print ads in the late 1970s.
Fifth, firm size gets argued. In the Advocate, Bart disputed McKernan’s claim to the biggest firm. Bart said he has 70 to 75 lawyers in Louisiana, while McKernan said he has 60 in 13 offices.
An older speaker bio put Bart’s firm at 75 attorneys, more than 150 support staff and an ad budget above $10 million a year. Today, a podcast bio lists 15 offices across four states and more than 100 attorneys. The figures fit together, because Bart’s 70 to 75 count covers Louisiana only.
Morris Bart’s Law Practice and Honors
The firm has offices in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas, and says Bart has been a trial lawyer for more than 40 years with many multi-million-dollar recoveries. A Martindale profile title places him in drug and medical device litigation.
He belongs to the Mississippi Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice. He also served on the board of governors of the Louisiana Association for Justice. He has lectured on legal marketing at Tulane, Loyola and UNO.
His honors include:
- Super Lawyer
- Million Dollar Advocate
- Gambit Weekly’s “Best Attorney”
- A “Leadership in Law” award from New Orleans City Business
- An honor from the American Cancer Society
Morris Bart’s Legal Fights and Public Spats
In 2008, the AP reported that Bart, a competitor and the group Public Citizen sued to block new Louisiana lawyer-ad rules. The rules, set to start December 1, barred promises of results and mottos that imply them. Bart’s suit said they also limited testimonials, actor endorsements and re-enactments.
In 2019, reference biographies say, Bart and attorney Ed Womac filed a federal complaint accusing other firms of using their names and slogans for profit.
On March 7, 2023, Bart and Orleans DA Jason Williams announced a partnership. Six attorneys from his firm volunteered one to two hours a day to help screen cases for prosecution. They review arrest reports pro bono and check them against police body-camera video before advising on misdemeanor gun charges.
Insurance Journal reported in September 2023 that a Bart attorney said the firm had taken on about 2,000 former clients of McClenny Moseley & Associates. That came after a federal judge rejected McClenny Moseley’s bid to claim fees in one hurricane case.
After the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street in 2025, WGNO said Bart’s firm filed the first lawsuit in Orleans Parish Civil District Court. It names the city and contractors, and it acts for six survivors and the father of Brandon Taylor, who died. Bart said that, in his opinion, injuries in the second and third blocks were preventable.
Morris Bart’s Family and Life Outside Court
Bart and his wife, Cathy, have been married for more than 39 years, per his firm. They have three daughters. Earlier profiles said 32 and 33 years, so the count has simply moved forward.
Biz New Orleans described his office as eclectic, with family photos and career mementos. It holds signed boxing gloves from Mike Tyson and Ken Norton, and one framed photo shows Mick Jagger between Cathy and Bart.
A speaker bio calls him a strong believer in fitness who regularly runs, bikes, skis and plays tennis. His firm says he has served on boards at Isidore Newman School, McGehee School and Metairie Park Country Day School. An older bio adds the Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.
He also works with the Pelicans and iHeartRadio. His Pelicans program, Bart’s Flight School, supplies students in need with school gear. In a lighter turn, his firm’s site announced a Louisiana hot sauce sold at Rouses Markets.
Morris Bart’s Giving Back
Bart and Cathy have given to hunger relief, schools and police. Their giving includes:
- Second Harvest Food Bank: a $1 million gift, with the Cathy and Morris Bart Volunteer Center opening October 7, 2022
- NOPD: a new gym for the 2nd Precinct in 2020
- Pelicans: Bart’s Flight School, which supplies students in need
- Scholarships and giveaways: including a community service scholarship and a 2024 back-to-school giveaway
- Schools: UNO, Loyola Law School, Newman, McGehee and Country Day
Bart said the Second Harvest gift aimed to raise awareness and draw other donors and volunteers. The Advocate also reported his $1 million gift.
Morris Bart’s Net Worth, In Brief
Our full estimates about $60 million. The realistic range runs from $40 million to $70 million. His firm is private, so that’s a structural inference, not a figure from Forbes or Bloomberg.
Where Morris Bart Stands Today
The newest reporting we found dates to 2025, and it shows Bart still working. In February, he told the Advocate he’d been in Jefferson Parish and federal courtrooms recently. His billboards are up, his firm is suing over the Bourbon Street attack, and he’s trading barbs with the governor. For rivals, see
Morris Bart started with one shared secretary and one bold ad. Four decades on, the slogan still does most of the talking.
More on This Topic: Morris Bart Net Worth in 2026: How One Slogan Built a $60M Empire
FAQ
How old is Morris Bart?
He’s listed as born December 6, 1948, which makes him 77 in October 2026. Some news reports gave a younger age, so the exact figure isn’t settled.
Where was Morris Bart born and raised?
He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His family moved to New Orleans in 1962.
Where did Morris Bart go to school?
He graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1975. He earned his law degree from Loyola Law School in 1978 and joined the Louisiana Bar that year.
Is Morris Bart married?
Yes. He and his wife, Cathy, have been married for more than 39 years, and they have three daughters.
When did Morris Bart start advertising on TV?
In 1980, as the first attorney in Louisiana to advertise injury work on TV. He says he was the second or third lawyer in America to do so.
What is Morris Bart’s net worth?
Our estimate is about $60 million, with a range of $40 million to $70 million. It’s an inference, not a reported figure, because his firm is private.
Disclaimer: These details reflect publicly available reporting and records — not confirmed statements from the individuals involved.
Sources: The Advocate (2025 McKernan feature); Rankings.io podcast EP 379; The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Ep. 30; Biz New Orleans, “That’s Not All”; NPR (2015); ABA Journal (2015); Fox 8 / WVUE (Aug. 2025); Louisiana Illuminator (2025); WBRZ (2020); AP (Nov. 2008); WGNO (2025); WWL-TV and Fox 8 (Mar. 2023); Insurance Journal (Sept. 2023); Milwaukee Magazine (2015); NOLA Family (Hertha Bart profile); U.S. Supreme Court, Bates v. State Bar of Arizona (1977); morrisbart.com; Wikipedia.
