Sheetal Balakrishnan

Sheetal has practiced as a lawyer for over a decade, specialising in social justice issues. Her career has spanned NSW, the Northern Territory, the Netherlands and England across criminal law, international law, administrative law and human rights law. 

Sheetal joined PIAC’s Strategic Litigation team in 2021 and leads our A Fairer NDIS project where she uses her specialist knowledge of NDIS policy, laws and regulations to empower disability rights advocates and to compel systemic change. Sheetal represents PIAC clients in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) who are seeking review of NDIA decisions.  

Sheetal also works on PIAC’s Disability Rights project, advising and representing clients in unlawful disability discrimination claims in the Australian Human Rights Commission and Federal Court. As a criminal defence lawyer at the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission, Sheetal represented children and adults with disability. 

Sheetal holds a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Technology Sydney and a Master of Law from the University of Cambridge, UK.