NEWS LITE : MAKING HER CASE AS TELEVISION HOST.

Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor in the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson, has signed to star in her own television series to begin next fall, her agent says.

The series, called ``Lady Law,'' will be a daily syndicated show about women in law enforcement jobs, said the agent, Norman Brokaw of the William Morris Agency. Clark will follow police officers, prosecutors and other legal officials through their daily jobs and their home lives.

The show is to be produced by Arnold Shapiro, who worked previously on ``Rescue 911,'' a successful CBS show based on real events.

Clark has resigned from her position with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

In the months since Simpson was acquitted, Clark has been working on a book about the case. The book, titled ``Without a Doubt,'' is due to be published by Viking Press this spring.

`Material Girl' gets Rosie-eyed

These days, it's here Madonna, there Madonna, everywhere Madonna. Just like old times - before she got pregnant and fumed about the press' prying. She finally showed up Thursday on pal Rosie O'Donnell's show - way after doing Oprah Winfrey's. Madonna, called Mo' by Ro', was tart and funny and kept O'Donnell on her toes with zings and the continual question: Do you think (insert rival talk show host) hates you? She even showed up with a baby - not Lourdes. She said she had read in the paper she was showing up with Lourdes, so she didn't want to disappoint people. Enter, stunt baby. Other highlights:

Rosie and Mo' sang a kooky nursery rhyme then got up to belt out another tune about being new mommies and bringing up baby.

Mo' said her fave thing to do with the child is to lie on the bed and chat. Uh-huh; the kid is 3 months old.

Viewers found out that Rosie's son pottied in Mo's pool; and Lourdes cries when Tickle Me Elmo giggles.

Things got really surreal when O'Donnell trotted out a clip of Madonna performing ``Like A Virgin.'' Mo' faked embarrassment, zinging: ``Now you know why I did Oprah first.'' Bull's-eye! To the heart! Rosie was slain. Figuratively speaking. Then, Madonna had them roll a tape of a thinner Rosie doing standup in the 1980s.

Ready to step out from closet

The ABC television comedy ``Ellen'' is now preparing episodes that will portray the lead character played by Ellen DeGeneres as a lesbian, and those episodes will appear before the end of the television season if approved by the network, the president of ABC Entertainment said Thursday.

``We are seriously considering going in the direction that everyone has been talking about,'' Jamie Tarses said in an interview in Los Angeles. ``We are all taking this pretty seriously. It just has to be done very well. It can't be just another episode of television.''

``Ellen'' would be the first television series with an openly homosexual lead character.

Remaining masters of their domain

Look for at least another year of Kramer bursting into Jerry's apartment and Elaine complaining about her love life.

The stars of NBC's ``Seinfeld'' have agreed to at least one more season and are negotiating for big raises, Daily Variety reported Thursday.

Contracts for Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards all expire this year, putting them in a strong bargaining position.

Seinfeld makes $500,000 per episode and rakes in money from syndication fees, Daily Variety reported. The three others make about $125,000 an episode.

``Morale on the show is really good,'' said George Shapiro, Jerry Seinfeld's manager. ``There's a positive feeling about returning, though no deals have been concluded at this point.''

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Rosie O'Donnell and Madonna belt out a tune Thursday on O'Donnell's TV show.

(2) `Lion of American music'

President Clinton and Hilary Rodham Clinton present jazz legend Lionel Hampton with a National Medal of the Arts at the White House on Thursday.