Exhibits 5 and 23(a)


                          November 5, 2001



FirstEnergy Corp.
76 South Main Street
Akron, Ohio  44308

     Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-8 of FirstEnergy Corp.
          Relating to the Issuance of Shares of Common Stock and
          Deferred Compensation Obligations under the FirstEnergy Corp.
          Executive Deferred Compensation Plan and the Amended
          FirstEnergy Corp. Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors
          (collectively, the "Plans")

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I have acted as Vice President and General Counsel to FirstEnergy
Corp., an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the
preparation of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration
Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act"), relating to the offering of up to an additional
1,000,000 shares (the "Shares") of the Company's Common Stock, par value
$0.10 per share, and up to an additional $75,000,000 in principal amount
of deferred compensation obligations (the "Obligations") to be issued
pursuant to the provisions of the Plans.  I, or the attorneys under my
supervision and control upon whom I have relied, have examined such
records, documents, statutes and decisions as I or they have deemed
relevant in rendering this opinion.

     Based on the foregoing, I am of the opinion that when:

          (a)  the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and of
     State securities or "blue sky" laws shall have been complied with,
     and

          (b)  the Company's Board of Directors shall have duly
     authorized the issuance of the Shares, and

          (c)  the Shares have been duly issued and paid for in an
     amount not less than par value of $0.10 per share,

the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and
when:



          (a)  the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and of
     State securities or "blue sky" laws shall have been complied with,
and

          (b)  the Company's Board of Directors shall have duly
     authorized the issuance of the Obligations pursuant to the
     provisions of the Plans,

the Obligations will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

     I hereby consent to the use of this opinion as Exhibit 5 to the
Registration Statement.  In giving such opinion, I do not thereby admit
that I am acting within the category of persons whose consent is
required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules or
regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                           Very truly yours,

                           /s/ Leila L. Vespoli, Esq.

                           Leila L. Vespoli, Esq.



                                   2