The year was 1968.

Jean H. Toal, a recent law school graduate, was admitted to the South Carolina Bar. Less than 1 percent of licensed lawyers in South Carolina were women.

Today, it's S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, the first woman to hold that position, and the percentage of female lawyers is about 20 percent.

Regarded as a trailblazer in a society that historically underestimated the professional contributions of women, Toal spoke to more than 150 people gathered Saturday for the 11th annual Centering on Women Conference through the Center for Women.

While she chronicled the struggles of diversity of women in the field of law, Toal encouraged the women, who represented a variety of professions, to be movers and shakers in their own right and improve the lives of women everywhere despite any prevailing inequities in the workplace.

"Old-fashioned attitudes against women continued into the 20th century," Toal said.

Still, she said all things -- including family, educational opportunities and accomplishments -- should be considered before deeming life unfair.

"In the world of fairness, things are not always what they seem at first," she said.

"I think it was a superlative example of women energizing other women," Center For Women Executive Director Jennet Robinson Alterman said.

"We believe in highlighting women who have accomplished a lot in their profession, who also believe in helping other women break through barriers," Alterman said, referring to Toal's admonition to "drop the ladder down" for others.

"I absolutely loved it," said Marilyn Joyce, an entrepreneur and motivational speaker who traveled from Augusta. "I found that all of the issues they talked about were universal."

The keynote address wrapped up the morning-long conference at Charleston Riverview Hotel downtown, where eight workshop sessions encouraged empowerment, professionally and personally.

Topics included "Collaborative Negotiating Skills," "Influencing Relationships at Work and at Home," "The Reality of Dreams: Realizing Your Potential," and "Girls Just Want to Have Funds."

It was the first conference for Vicki Pittman, a North Charleston entrepreneur who recently started her business.

"If you're like me and you don't know where to start," Pittman said, "if you come to something like this, it helps."

Nancy Simpson, a Trident Technical College professor, has attended all the Center for Women conferences.

"Women have to shake society sometimes, and we can do that subtly or overtly," Simpson said. "This is a good gathering of women."