Suby Valluri, an Indian American student set to graduate from Cornell Tech’s Master of Laws (LLM) in Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship program this year, has been named the first recipient of the Michael Mills Memorial LegalTech Scholarship. Established by a network of over 50 donors, the scholarship honors the legacy of Michael Mills, a pioneer in legal technology, and aims to support students pursuing careers at the intersection of law and technology.
Valluri, who holds a PhD in quantitative economics and an MA in law, is also the co-founder and CEO of FinMont, a travel payments startup that integrates law, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology. Expressing his appreciation, Valluri described the scholarship as a meaningful milestone in his professional journey, noting that it celebrates mentorship, creativity, and Mills’s lifelong work in reshaping the legal technology landscape.
The scholarship will enable Valluri to focus on developing “smart agreements” — contracts that combine traditional legal language with computer code to automatically check compliance and trigger cross-border payments. He emphasized that these agreements could simplify global transactions, making them faster, more secure, and more transparent. Valluri added that the award allows him to expand his research, prototype innovative solutions, and engage more actively in Cornell Tech’s LegalTech community, while connecting with a network of like-minded innovators.
Michael Mills, whom the scholarship commemorates, co-founded Neota, a company that allowed lawyers to build legal software without coding expertise. He also co-founded Central Park Conservancy and Pro Bono Net, using technology to expand access to pro bono legal services. Throughout his career, Mills supported innovation awards and mentored professionals entering technology-focused legal roles.
Matthew D’Amore, director of the Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Program at Cornell Tech and Cornell Law School, highlighted that the scholarship reflects the campus’s commitment to legal innovation. With ongoing donor support, Cornell Tech aims to establish the fund as a permanent resource, ensuring Mills’s vision for accessible, efficient, and equitable legal systems continues. D’Amore noted that scholarships like this help attract future leaders in legal technology, empowering them to carry forward Mills’s legacy of innovation.
