The legal system worked exactly as it is designed to work. The Schindlers had Sears-catalog-diploma representation; Schiavo had the state's foremost right-to-die lawyer. Terri was outlawyered.
That is just what the system is set up to do. The best lawyer won.
Not to mention a judge who was so inconsistent in his rulings throughout the entire case that it almost looks like he was in on the fix.
But you are right, I could have done a better job lawyering this one than the Schindler's atty did.