New York: Indian-origin Cornell Tech student Suby Valluri, who is set to graduate in 2026, has been named the first-ever recipient of the Michael Mills Memorial LegalTech Scholarship.
Cornell Tech has launched the Michael Mills Memorial LegalTech Scholarship to honor an influential figure in legal technology and mark a milestone for the campus’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship program.
Valluri, who holds a Ph.D. in quantitative economics and an M.A. in law, is the co-founder and CEO of FinMont, a travel payments startup. His work combines law, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology. “Receiving the Michael Mills Memorial LegalTech Scholarship marks a profoundly meaningful step in my professional journey,” Valluri said. “Beyond its financial value, the award reflects Michael Mills’s legacy of mentorship, creativity, and his lifelong effort to reshape how law and technology intersect.”
Valluri plans to use the scholarship to develop “smart agreements” – contracts that combine traditional legal language with computer code. These agreements can automatically check compliance and trigger payments across different countries, reducing complexity and making global transactions faster and more reliable.
“My broader aim is to make cross-border transactions more transparent, affordable, and secure,” he said. “This scholarship gives me the space and confidence to deepen my research, test new prototypes, and participate more actively in Cornell Tech’s LegalTech community. Most importantly, it connects me with a network of thinkers and builders who share a common purpose: making legal systems more transparent, equitable, and adaptable through technology.”
The scholarship honors Michael Mills, who co-founded and led Neota, a company that enabled lawyers to build legal software applications without writing code. He also co-founded Central Park Conservancy and Pro Bono Net, a nonprofit that uses technology to expand pro bono legal services. Mills also funded innovation awards in the College of Law Practice Management and mentored professionals moving into technology roles.
The scholarship has been created by a network of more than 50 donors to celebrate Mills’s legacy and will support students pursuing careers at the intersection of law and technology through the Cornell Tech LL.M. program.
