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.
Cypress (the same as Cypress-Fairbanks, or Cy-Fair) is an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, United States located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. The Cypress area is located along U.S. Highway 290 (Northwest Freeway) twenty miles (32 km) northwest of Downtown Houston. Large scale residential and commercial development beginning in the 1980s transformed the once rural area into one of the Houston area's largest suburban communities. Cypress is the home of Eva Guzman, the first Hispanic female to have served on the Texas Supreme Court. She is a candidate in the March 2, 2010, Republican primary election.