N.Y. Jud. Law § 120
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.
N.Y. Jud. Law § 120