A Certified Paralegal Worked in a Mid-Size Law Firm and Worked

A certified paralegal worked in a mid-size law firm and worked with two attorneys handling civil litigation cases. As part of her work, the paralegal was expected to understand and interpret procedural rules and local rules of practice. To keep up with changes to the state's procedural rules, the paralegal registered for continuing legal education seminar offered by the county bar association. On the morning of the seminar, however, one of the attorneys offered to take several employees to lunch, and the paralegal went to lunch instead of attending the seminar. The next day, the paralegal was working on collecting and preparing the supporting documents for a summary judgment motion, but organized them in a way that was inconsistent with a recent rule change, and the filing was rejected by the clerk of the court. The rule change was discussed in the seminar that the paralegal did not attend. Is the paralegal subject to disciplinary action by any professional organization?

A) Yes, because the paralegal is certified and failed to maintain a high degree of competency.
B) Yes, because the Model Rules established continuing education requirements for non-attorney employees.
C) No, because paralegal certification is voluntary and cannot be taken away or sanctioned.
D) No, because paralegals must maintain good working relationships with their employers and attending the lunch promoted a good relationship.