N.D. Cent. Code § 27-08.1-08
The presiding judge of the judicial district may appoint a referee of the small claims court who shall hold office at the pleasure of the judge. The referee shall qualify in the same manner as other civil officers, except that the referee need not be a qualified elector of the county, and the duties and powers of the referee in the conduct of trials in the small claims court are governed by the provisions of rule 53(c) of the North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure insofar as those provisions are not in conflict with the provisions of this chapter. The referee appointed must be a person versed in the law. The presiding judge shall determine the salary or fee of the referee, within the limits of legislative appropriations.
N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-08