NEWPORT, RI -- Citing the enormous time demands of her elevated new legislative role, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed has confirmed plans to "transition out'' of her Newport law firm Moore Virgadamo & Lynch, over the next four to six weeks.

And for now, she said she has "no immediate plans'' to move to another firm or start her own private practice.

With her law firm representing Newport Grand, Paiva Weed has deliberately distanced herself from gambling talks at the State House, an issue that is likely to take prominence again this year.

But she said that had nothing to do with her decision, and she has not decided whether she will feel free to engage in those talks this session, even after leaving her law firm.

She said a domestic-law practice such as she has - divorces, estates and the like - requires a lawyer to spend a lot of time in court in litigation which, she said, she no longer feels that she has.