In a significant step towards reshaping the financial landscape for legal education, Stanford Law School (SLS) has announced the funding of the third cohort of Flywheel Fellows. This cohort consists of 10 students from the class of 2026. The Flywheel Fund for Career Choice, a nonprofit initiative created by alumni from Stanford Law School and Harvard Law School, is designed to mitigate the burden of law school debt on career choices, particularly for those interested in public service.
This model involves the use of Income Share Loans (ISLs), where up to $170,000 per student is invested upfront for tuition and expenses. The repayment of these loans is linked to the graduates’ future income, allowing funds to be recycled to support the education of future student cohorts. This strategy aims to reduce the financial pressures that often deter law graduates from pursuing careers in public service.
Stanford Law School has been collaborating with Flywheel since 2022. To date, Flywheel has supported the previous two cohorts, encompassing 30 students from the classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026. With rising student interest and the promising results of the pilot project, SLS has taken on the funding responsibility for the latest cohort.
For more details on the program, visit Stanford Law School’s website.