EXHIBIT 5.1     
                                 
                              April 23, 1996     
   
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation     
   
5847 San Felipe, Suite 2600     
   
Houston, Texas 77057     
   
Ladies and Gentlemen:     
   
  I and members of my staff have acted as counsel for Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the
Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Reg. No. 333-71) of the Company, as amended
by Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 thereto (the "Registration Statement"), filed with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), relating to the registration
of, among other things, 10,000,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock, par
value $.01 per share (the "Shares") to be sold from time to time, by MAXXAM
Inc. (the "Selling Stockholder") directly to purchasers or which may be
converted, exchanged or redeemed for debt securities of the Selling
Stockholder.     
   
  In connection with the foregoing, I or members of my staff have examined,
among other things (i) copies of the Registration Statement and exhibits
thereto, and (ii) the originals, photocopies or conformed copies of all such
records of the Company and all such agreements and certificates of public
officials, certificates of officers and representatives of the Company, and
such other documents as I or members of my staff have deemed relevant and
necessary as a basis for the opinion hereinafter expressed. In such
examination, I have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on original
documents, the authenticity of all documents submitted to me as originals, the
conformity to the originals of all copies submitted to me as conformed or
photocopies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. As
to various questions of fact material to this opinion, I have relied, without
independent investigation or verification, upon representations, statements or
certificates of public officials and officers and representatives of the
Company.     
   
  Based upon and subject to the foregoing, and to the qualifications
hereinafter specified, I am of the opinion that the Shares to be sold by the
Selling Stockholder have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.     
   
  I call your attention to the fact that I am admitted to practice only in the
states of California and Texas and the District of Columbia, and, in rendering
the foregoing opinion, I do not express any opinion as to any laws other than
the General Corporation Law of the state of Delaware, the laws of the states of
California and Texas and the Federal laws of the United States of America. The
opinion expressed herein is based upon such laws as are in effect on the date
hereof, and I assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion should
any such law be changed by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise.
       
  I hereby consent to the fling of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the use of my name under the heading "Legal
Matters" in the prospectus that forms a part thereof. In giving this consent, I
do not thereby admit that I am within the category of persons whose consent is
required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder.     
   
  I am delivering this opinion to the Company, and no person other than the
Company may rely upon it.     
                                             
                                          Very truly yours,     
                                             
                                          Anthony R. Pierno     
                                             
                                          Vice President and General Counsel