A Certified Paralegal Worked in the Litigation Department of the Sakarov

A certified paralegal worked in the litigation department of the Sakarov Law Firm. During that employment, the paralegal was heavily involved in several cases defending Mountainside All-Terrain Vehicles, Inc. against product defect claims arising from a brake problem. Three months ago, the paralegal took a job at the Hikado Law Firm, which handles plaintiff personal injury suits. Today, a conflict checking form was sent to all attorneys and paralegals in the Hikado Law Firm regarding a potential client and a claim against Mountainside All-Terrain Vehicles based on a faulty brake system. The paralegal sees the conflict check form, recognizes the name of the defendant, but says nothing. Has the paralegal violated any ethical or professional conduct rule?

A) Yes, because the rules governing certified paralegals require the paralegal to disclose the conflict with Mountainside All-Terrain Vehicles
B) Yes, because the Model Rules will impute the paralegal's prior work defending Mountainside All-Terrain Vehicles to all attorneys at Hikado Law Firm
C) No, because Hikado Law Firm has not yet accepted the case, and if it does, the paralegal can be screened to overcome any conflict of interest
D) No, because the conflict of interest rules under the Model Rules do not apply to non-attorney staff

Correct Answer:

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