Lawton had gradually been cut out of the loop on legal reviews.

Do you want the names of a couple of good books on the English language?

I doubt whether a psychiatrist would be able to help you focus given your age.

Oh, oh, oh, more hurtful things.

I see this thread is not the only one where people think you are a little unbalanced.

I asked G, a lawyer pal of mine, what he thought the sentence in the title was about.

He explained that lawyers are sometimes invited to summarize, and provide commentary, on recent legal decisions. Those reviews might be done for a firm or a group of lawyers. Some are published. It is an indication of career advancement to be invited to write reviews. If there is a change in the lawyer's status for some reason, they might be gradually cut out of the loop on legal reviews ... that is, invited to do fewer reviews for their peers to consider.

He thinks this is standard terminology in his field, but wasn't willing to bet breakfast on it.

Gee, you're a major hypocrite too, McTag. You can't even remember what you have said post to post.

'cut out of the loop' is standard terminology for everyone, [even McTag now] meaning it's a viable choice for anyone, likely in any dialect of English.

Here's a link [hope it works] to a exact phrase Google search, UK region only

"cut out of the loop"

https://www.google.ca/search?as_q=&as_epq=%22cut+out+of+the+loop%22&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=lang_en&cr=countryGB&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=any&safe=images&tbs=&as_filetype=&as_rights=

I find it hard to believe that McTag had never heard it before.

You oughta get out more, McTag.

that could be

I'd never seen it before this thread. It feels ok not being 'everyone'.

I'm pretty sure I had never seen it before this thread either...or if I had, I would have assumed the writer had just misused the standard phrase.

It's easy to understand of course, so not too objectionable on that ground. I think it's a shame that current writers, especially the young, seem constantly striving to make things sound different. Maybe they think it makes their ideas seem fresher, more edgy.
I've just finished a James Lee Burke novel, I enjoyed it a lot and was regretful when it ended, but he's no Patrick Leigh Fermor.

Of course it feels okay, Beth. There's a great deal of vocabulary that we've all not been exposed to. But it's silly to run down what is available simply because of one's ignorance.