Alternative Dispute Resolution is a mechanism by which different types of legal disputes are resolved through out-of-court processes like arbitration, and mediation as an alternative to civil litigation. ADR methods can be effective in reducing the time, money, and adversarial nature associated with traditional court-based proceedings.
Patterson is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 11,606 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. Patterson is known as the "Apricot Capital of the World".