PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- One of the two lawyers that Governor-elect Chafee has chosen to lead his legal office is not yet qualified to argue a case before any Rhode Island court.

Responding to a Journal inquiry, Chafee spokesman Michael Trainor acknowledged that Joseph "Kenny'' Alston, a Brown University graduate who returned to Rhode Island from New York in February to write a legal textbook, is not yet a member of the Rhode Island Bar.

That means "he cannot make a court appearance .... [or] sign a motion,'' Trainor acknowledged.

But he said Alston has applied to take the bar examination in Rhode Island when it is next administered in February, and if all goes as planned, attain his law license by May.

In the interim,Trainor said, the governor-elect is confident there is "more than enough legal work that does not require a license'' that Alston can do to help his co-counsel in the governor's legal office, Claire Richards. He said he can do legal research, for example, and help writing briefs.

Trainor said Chafee was aware Alston was not yet licensed to practice law here when he chose him for one of the two spots in his legal office, but offered him the job anyway because he was "frankly so impressed'' with the work Alston had done as a full-time volunteer on his campaign, working on "a variety of policy development and legal matters.''

A resume provided by the Chafee transition team says Alston worked for six years as a corporate associate with the New York law firm LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, and then as deputy counsel for Mortgageit Inc., a New York mortgage bank, and as senior corporate counsel for Weight Watchers International, Inc.

After Brown, he graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, where he worked with the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic and was a Law School Association Representative and member of the Black Law Students Association.