In viewing the list of conferences, those in blue letters and underlined are open, those in plain black text are closed. During peak periods, evenings for example, it may be difficult or impossible to log on, or the program may be frustratingly slow. Access from the law lab is generally superior. Then use the copy and paste commands. Then if the system crashes you at least have your original message and can try again.
Students complain frequently about certain classmates whose submissions are unduly lengthy.