Lewinsky dumped William Ginsburg, a California medical malpractice attorney who was criticised for saying too much about the case.

She hired Jacob Stein, a former independent counsel who investigated former attorney general Edwin Meese, and Plato Cacheris, who represented Iran-Contra figure Fawn Hall and convicted spy Aldrich Ames.

Separately, independent counsel Kenneth Starr asked the Supreme Court to rule soon on two legal fights opposing his office and the White House.

In a strongly worded statement, Starr said he called on the court to decide whether Clinton can invoke attorney-client privilege to block the independent counsel from questioning top White House aide and Clinton confidant Bruce Lindsey.

Clinton's lawyer denounced the maneuver.

``Starr istrying to end run the rules and leap-frog the legal process,'' Jim Kennedy said in a statement, dismissing the brief as an ``act of public relations, not a work of law.''