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.
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located 51 miles (82 kilometers) south of Boston, 28 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about 12 miles (19 kilometers) east of Fall River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 93,768, and an estimated 2008 population of 91,365, making it the seventh-largest city in Massachusetts. New Bedford is nicknamed "The Whaling City" because it was, during the nineteenth century, one of the most important whaling ports in the world. The city, along with Fall River and Taunton, is one of three cities on the south coast of Massachusetts.