N.Y. Judiciary Law § 120: Official referees of the court of claims

§ 120. Official referees of the court of claims. Every official

referee of the court of claims in the four respective judicial

departments who, pursuant to former provisions of this section, is

acting and in the discharge of his duties as such official referee, at

the time this section as hereby amended takes effect, may continue to

hear and determine or hear and report upon any claim against the state

referred to him by the court of claims, upon the consent of the

attorney-general and the claimant. He shall receive no compensation from

the parties for his services as such referee. Such a referee also shall

render such temporary assistance to the court of claims as he shall be

designated to perform by the presiding judge thereof, whenever such

court requires such assistance because of the illness of a judge or his

disqualification to hear a particular matter, and also whenever there is

such an accumulation of work before the court as to render such

assistance necessary in order to enable it promptly to dispose of the

business before it. When so assisting such court, under designation from

the presiding judge, such referee shall be deemed an acting judge of the

court and shall have the powers and jurisdiction of a judge of such

court.