By: Ashley Gale Vaughan, J.D. Most legal disputes in the United States are resolved outside of the courtroom through a set of processes known as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). ADR includes informal resolutions like settlements in civil cases and plea bargains in criminal matters, as well as more formal alternatives such as mediation and arbitration. These processes allow people to resolve conflicts without the time, cost, and unpredictability of a trial. But why does ADR come up so...