I think this is a poor-quality question. If option D read "Is forcing..." it would be correct. While "Forces" technically matches the present tense, the reader understands "a current climb" to mean recent past and present, and not simply the present. Option A, "has forced many attorneys to raise their hourly rates" is correct. Similar construction: "The current climb in unemployment has forced the FEDs to lower interestest rates" is correct while
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