The Panic of 2008 brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines to examine the causes and consequences of the global credit crisis, the subsequent collapse of the financial markets, and the following recession. The book evaluates the crisis in historical context, explores its various legal, economic, and financial dimensions, and considers various possibilities for reform. The Panic of 2008 is one of the first in-depth efforts to study the crisis as it was in the very earliest stage of resolution, and establishes a foundation for thinking about and evaluating current reform efforts and the likelihood of recurrence. This is a thorough and detailed examination by leading scholars from law, history, finance and economics and as such will be of great interest to the scholarly and academic communities of legal academicians, financial historians, financial economists, and economists. General readers engaged with the ramifications of the financial crisis, including practising lawyers, policymakers, and financial and business professionals, will also find the book invaluable and useful.