§ 173-b. Power of supreme court justices of the eight judicial district to appoint a confidential law assistant to such justices. The justices of the supreme court of the eighth judicial district, or a majority of them, may appoint and at pleasure remove and prescribe the duties of a confidential law assistant to such justices. Such confidential law assistant shall be an attorney and counsellor at law and shall receive such salary as shall be fixed by such justices, or a majority of them. Such salary shall be audited by the state comptroller and paid by the state department of taxation and finance in equal semi-monthly installments when certified to such comptroller by a justice of the supreme court of the eighth judicial district. Such department shall apportion the amount of such salary among the counties of the eighth judicial district. Such counties shall reimburse the state therefor. The time and method of such apportionment and the time and method of such reimbursement shall be as specified in section seventy-four of this chapter.