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                                                                    EXHIBIT 5(a)


                         [LCI INTERNATIONAL LETTERHEAD]




April 25, 1997

LCI International, Inc.
8180 Greensboro Drive, Suite 800
McLean, Virginia  22102

Gentlemen:

You have requested my opinion, as counsel for LCI International, Inc. and/or its
subsidiaries (the "Company"), in connection with the Registration Statement on
Form S-8 to be filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Registration Statement") in connection with the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, by the Company of 500,000 shares of Common
Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), which may be purchased
under the LCI International 401(k) Savings Plan (the "Plan") and an
indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold under the Plan.

I have examined and relied upon originals or copies, certified, or otherwise
identified to my satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records,
certificates and instruments relating to the Company as I have deemed relevant
and necessary to the information of the opinion hereinafter set forth. In such
examination, I have assumed the genuineness and authenticity of all documents
examined by me and all signatures thereon, the legal capacity of all persons
executing such documents, the conformity to originals of all copies of documents
submitted to me and the truth and correctness of any representations and
warranties contained therein.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing and to such further limitations and
qualifications as set forth below, we are of the opinion that:

               The Common Stock, when issued in accordance with the terms of the
               Plan, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement.

Sincerely,

/s/ LEE M. WEINER

Lee M. Weiner
Vice President and General Counsel