How did Morris Bart and Associates, the firm behind all those billboards, 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 cake carried an icing photo of the lawyer. There was a cutout and a T-shirt too. Bart told NPR it was “an unusual request, I must admit.”
That small 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 and Associates in Brief
Morris Bart is a New Orleans personal injury lawyer. He was 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 Louisiana attorney to advertise injury work on TV. His firm now runs 15 offices across four states.
A quick note on the name. Many people search for Morris Bart and Associates. But legal directory listings show the firm as Morris Bart, LLC, with its main office at 601 Poydras Street in New Orleans. We use both names below.
Early Life: Knoxville, a Pilot Father and a Yoga Pioneer
Reference biographies say Bart and his sister grew up with parents Morris Bart Jr. and Hertha Rosenblum. Those profiles 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. About 15 years later, they moved to New Orleans for a business opportunity. That move happened in 1962.
Hertha became a New Orleans fixture. 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. NOLA Family quoted her summing up her path with “Experience is the best teacher.” A headline cited in public reference entries says she later died at 100.
Bart has talked about his early years in public too. In 2017, he sat down with psychiatrist Dr. Nick Pejic on the It’s New Orleans show Mindset. They covered his childhood, his rise and what pushes him.
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. He 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 Behind Morris Bart and Associates
Before dominating the New Orleans skyline with billboards, Bart started his early practice on the Northshore, taking cases in the Mandeville and Madisonville areas. But in 1980, he made his defining move and 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’d 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. Our net worth feature notes he had to sit through hearings to defend his right to advertise. Bart argued, successfully, that he was simply using his First Amendment free-speech rights.
A rhyming rule from his father is often quoted in profiles: “Work like hell and advertise!” Bart took it to heart.
He 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.
On that same podcast, Bart kept the business simple. He said the hardest part of being a lawyer is getting business. It was true back then, he added, and it’s 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 pictured his younger self as ambitious and “chomping at the bit.” He said the first step is to commit to advertising in a style you’re comfortable with. He’s blunt about the field too. 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 also 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’d 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. Fox 8 reported 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. He 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.
Biz New Orleans reports 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. Here are six places where the record adds to, or differs from, the story.
First, the “first” claim has layers. His 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, as our net worth feature does.
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. They tried 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. The numbers fit, because Bart’s count covers Louisiana only.
Sixth, some online profiles list other schools or founding dates for the firm. We follow the firm’s own biography, which gives UNO in 1975 and Loyola in 1978.
How Morris Bart and Associates Grew
The growth is easy to trace. An older speaker bio put the firm at 75 attorneys, more than 150 support staff and an ad budget above $10 million a year. Today, the firm says it has more than 100 attorneys and more than 150 legal professionals. They work from 15 offices in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.
Real estate filings back up the size. The Feil Organization signed the firm to two Metairie leases totaling 11,158 square feet. Wikipedia’s entry calls it the largest personal injury firm in New Orleans. Bart’s rival disputes the “biggest” label, as noted above.
The money model is simple. As our net worth feature explains, the firm works on contingency. It typically takes 33% to 40% of a settlement or award. That’s why advertising and case volume matter so much to the business.
Morris Bart and Associates also leans on its brand. The slogan, the billboards and the TV spots work as one system. Brand recognition feeds calls, and calls feed cases.
Law Practice and Honors
The firm has offices in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. It 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. And 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
Legal Fights and Public Spats
Success at Morris Bart and Associates hasn’t been quiet. 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. They accused other firms of using their names and slogans for profit. Those are the filers’ allegations.
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. Then they advise 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 the controversial firm McClenny Moseley & Associates. McClenny Moseley had faced severe backlash and federal scrutiny for allegedly mass-dropping thousands of Hurricane Ida victims and failing to communicate with them. After a federal judge rejected McClenny Moseley’s bid to claim fees in one of those hurricane cases, Bart’s firm stepped in to rescue the stranded clients and take over their litigation.
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. 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.
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 and one son, Morris Bart III. His son followed in his footsteps and is now a practicing trial attorney within the Morris Bart, LLC firm. Earlier profiles said 32 and 33 years of marriage, 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. One framed photo shows Mick Jagger between Cathy and Bart.
A speaker bio calls him a strong believer in fitness. He 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. It also lists Fortier High School among the schools he supports.
He works with the Pelicans and iHeartRadio too. 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.
Giving Back
Bart and Cathy have given to hunger relief, schools and police. Their giving includes:
- Second Harvest Food Bank: Second Harvest Food Bank: a $1 million gift, with the Cathy and Morris Bart Volunteer Center opening October 7, 2022. However, Bart’s relationship with the charity faced a major test in early 2025. When the Archdiocese of New Orleans controversially fired Second Harvest’s leadership amid bankruptcy and clergy abuse settlement disputes, Bart publicly condemned the Archbishop’s actions. As one of the food bank’s largest benefactors, Bart threatened to pull his financial support and explore legal action to protect the charity’s mission.
- NOPD: a new gym for the 2nd Precinct in 2020
- Pelicans: Bart’s Flight School, which supplies students in need
- Scholarships and giveaways: 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 Net Worth in Brief
Our full estimate is 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 the full story of the man, the slogan and the firm, sits alongside this piece.
Morris Bart and Associates 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: The Louisiana Lawyer Who Turned Four Words Into a Name Everyone Knows
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.
Is “Morris Bart and Associates” the firm’s official name?
Not quite. Legal directory listings show the firm as Morris Bart, LLC. Many people still search for Morris Bart and Associates.
How big is Morris Bart and Associates?
The firm says it has more than 100 attorneys and more than 150 legal professionals. They work from 15 offices across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.
Is Morris Bart married?
Yes. He and his wife, Cathy, have been married for more than 39 years. They have three daughters and one son, Morris Bart III, who is also an attorney at the firm.
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: This biography is compiled from publicly available news reports, interviews, court records, and legal directory listings. Details such as age, net worth, and firm statistics reflect those sources at the time of publication and have not been independently confirmed by Morris Bart, his family, or Morris Bart, LLC.
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); Wall Street Journal Law Blog (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); It’s New Orleans, “Morris Bart – Mindset” (2017); NOLA.com (Mar. 2023); U.S. Supreme Court, Bates v. State Bar of Arizona (1977); morrisbart.com; FindLaw directory listing (2026); Feil Organization lease report.
