Justice’s House Sitter

President Clinton may be late in naming an Attorney General, but WEBB HUBBELL, Hillary Clinton’s former law partner, is already ensconced in the office opposite the A.G.’s suite at the Justice Department. Hubbell has told friends he does not want to be Deputy Attorney General or to take any other position that involves Senate confirmation — perhaps to avoid fishing expeditions into the law firm’s confidential business. Still, his conspicuous presence raises questions about potential politicization of the department. Former Attorneys General Griffin Bell and William French Smith won high marks in part because they insisted on naming their own aides. Washington Appeals Court Judge Pat Wald, an early Clinton candidate for the post, reportedly made the same demand.