N.Y. Jud. Law § 120

§ 120. Official referees of the court of claims. Every official\nreferee of the court of claims in the four respective judicial\ndepartments who, pursuant to former provisions of this section, is\nacting and in the discharge of his duties as such official referee, at\nthe time this section as hereby amended takes effect, may continue to\nhear and determine or hear and report upon any claim against the state\nreferred to him by the court of claims, upon the consent of the\nattorney-general and the claimant. He shall receive no compensation from\nthe parties for his services as such referee. Such a referee also shall\nrender such temporary assistance to the court of claims as he shall be\ndesignated to perform by the presiding judge thereof, whenever such\ncourt requires such assistance because of the illness of a judge or his\ndisqualification to hear a particular matter, and also whenever there is\nsuch an accumulation of work before the court as to render such\nassistance necessary in order to enable it promptly to dispose of the\nbusiness before it. When so assisting such court, under designation from\nthe presiding judge, such referee shall be deemed an acting judge of the\ncourt and shall have the powers and jurisdiction of a judge of such\ncourt.\n