蜜糖直播

鈥淪ometimes you start somewhere, but end up somewhere else,鈥� laughs Cassidy Grunninger (MM 鈥�14), a musician most of her life who鈥檚 now an Associate at Dunner Law PLLC, a Certified Woman-Owned firm in Washington.

鈥淚 started piano lessons when I was 5, and added cello and voice lessons in high school,鈥� Grunninger recalls. From there, she earned a BA in cello performance at Mercer University and a performance certificate in music at the University of North Florida.

Yet Grunninger felt a growing realization that perhaps a performance career wasn鈥檛 quite the right fit for her broad interests. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been passionate about the history of things, so the next logical step seemed to be studying musicology. That鈥檚 how I ended up at 蜜糖直播 Boulder.鈥�

Indeed, at the College of Music, Grunninger embraced exploring and learning 鈥渢he cultural and social ways that music has impacted society."

鈥淚t was fascinating,鈥� she adds. 鈥淏ut once again, as much as I was enjoying the path I was on, I wasn鈥檛 sure that I would get a career out of it鈥攁 career that would make me happy.鈥�

Feeling somewhat at loss, Grunninger decided to enroll at the University of Georgia School of Law.

鈥淚鈥檓 good friends with [Associate Professor of Composition] Carter Pann and in my last semester at 蜜糖直播 Boulder, he graciously allowed me to crash in his basement,鈥� she continues. 鈥淗e was in the process of publishing something at the time and I became intrigued by the hoops he had to go through from a legal perspective. And I thought, 鈥業f I go to law school, I could use my understanding of music to connect with creative people in a legal sense.鈥� That鈥檚 how I started focusing on intellectual property within the law.鈥�

Rounding out her legal studies, Grunninger landed an internship with the Recording Industry Association of America in Washington鈥攆ocusing on copyright issues in the recording industry鈥攆ollowed by a clerkship with the U.S. Copyright Office, where she researched copyright law and policy for the General Counsel鈥檚 office. From there, she worked at the House Committee on the Judiciary, assisting the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet on various intellectual property issues.

鈥淭here are surprisingly few lawyers that come from an arts background,鈥� she says. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 a strength. My background in music inspires me and influences how I approach my work, the connections I make and the insights I have.

鈥淢y law degree was my fourth degree, but I鈥檒l never regret the three music degrees that led up to it鈥攌nowing what I know now, I wouldn鈥檛 do anything differently. Having an arts background makes you more well-rounded, interesting and interested in the world 鈥� no matter where you end up.鈥�

Where Grunninger ended up is a small boutique firm comprising four attorneys. 鈥淲e have a range of clients鈥攊ncluding a lot of academic and other associations鈥攖hat are concerned about intellectual property, branding, and other legal matters related to publishing journals and books.

鈥淲e help researchers, authors and others ensure that appropriate copyrights and trademarks are in place, and that they are protected from potential infringers.鈥�

She regularly conducts domestic and international trademark clearance searches, renders use and registrability opinions, and prosecutes trademark and copyright applications around the world. Additionally, she handles trademark and copyright audits, and drafts licensing and assignment agreements. Grunninger鈥檚 work also emphasizes protection and enforcement of matters related to false advertising and unfair competition.

鈥淟ooking back, I鈥檇 say it鈥檚 all about being open to transitions,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd getting support from great people around you. I鈥檓 still in touch with Carter and other faculty and friends I went to school with. Those are lifelong connections, just as I also consider myself a lifelong musician.鈥�

These days, Grunninger counterpoints her career in law with active engagement as a junior board member of Washington Performing Arts鈥攁 leading presenter that connects the community to artists, in both education and performance.

Note: Previously, Cassidy Grunninger was Senior Online Editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law and authored 鈥淎 Tale of Two Composers: An Argument for a Limited Expansion of Moral Rights for Composers鈥� (2017).