History & Legal Studies Department

Careers

Graduates from the Department of History and Legal Studies find employment in a diverse range of occupations including: 

• Law
• Education
• Banking and insurance
• Public history
• Non-profit organizations
• Management
• Sales and marketing

Learning Opportunities

As a History or Legal Studies student, you can expand your knowledge and skillset in a variety of ways outside the classroom.

Boost your resumé by completing an internship in your field of interest or a publication-worthy research project.

You can also join WSU’s Mock Trial team and compete in national American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) tournaments. You’ll practice in our very own on-campus courtroom, located in Maxwell Hall.

Real-World Impact 

Legal Studies students can use their expertise to help real-world clients from southeast Minnesota expunge their criminal records—for free—through the on-campus Criminal Expungement Clinic.

For people who wish to seal or destroy their past criminal records, the expungement process can be very expensive.

However, expungement often allows individuals to live a full life in society after serving their sentence.

WSU students improve the world by providing greater access to justice for the local population.

You’ll give many people the opportunity to receive state benefits, rent an apartment, and even get a job.

This clinic is associated with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) and the non-profit Let’s Erase the Stigma.

History & Legal Studies News

Connecting for Lifelong Student Success

For more than 20 years, Dr. John Campbell at Winona State has met one-on-one with every first-year student in his History & Legal Studies classes. These personal meetings have helped roughly 2,000 students feel welcomed and supported, setting them up for success in college and beyond.

Warriors Uncover Historical Secrets

For their final History projects, Winona State students Maxwell Miller ’23 and Jessica Chacich ’23 visited archives in Chicago and Washington, D.C., uncovering rare documents. Their hands-on research, backed by competitive grants, provided deep insights into historical events and figures.

Making History Matter

Dr. Juandrea Bates, Associate Professor of History & Legal Studies at Winona State, developed a course exploring how age has influenced children’s experiences throughout history. Her students’ research in that class inspired her award-winning study on immigrant youth in Argentina.