Sanmati Verma
Senior Lawyer
Sanmati is an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law. She has practiced exclusively in the area of migration law since her admission to practice in 2010.

Sanmati obtained combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degrees from the University of Melbourne. During her time at University, Sanmati completed an internship with the New Delhi-based Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, working to document the impact of “anti-terror” law and policing in India. In 2009, Sanmati worked with the Western Suburbs Legal Service to establish the International Student Legal Advice Clinic, which offered free advice, casework and advocacy to international students living and working in Victoria.

Prior to commencing at CAIL, Sanmati completed her Traineeship at Victoria Legal Aid, and spent 12 months working in their Civil Justice, Access and Equity Section.

Sanmati has a breadth of experience across all visa categories, from the Department of Home Affairs level to merits review before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and judicial review before the Courts. She specialises in complex matters, including protection and humanitarian cases, matters involving parallel criminal law or ‘character’ issues, and immigration detention. Sanmati conducts litigation in the Federal Circuit Court, Federal Court and High Court of Australia.

In addition to her practice, Sanmati conducts regular community legal education and training seminars in refugee and migration law. She is currently a member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s ‘Legacy Caseload Working Group’ and was previously the chair of the Refugee Law Reform Committee.

Sanmati was nominated for the Law Council of Australia’s award for Young Migration Lawyer of the Year in 2014 and 2015.

​In 2016, she was awarded the Law Institute of Victoria’s award for ‘Emerging Lawyer of the Year.’