In 1985 she became a lawyer in Munich. She also was a "referendar", (a type of associate in a law office) and PhD candidate in law. In 1989 she became a lawyer at the law firm Peat Marwick in Frankfurt am Main, working mainly in corporate law. In 1991, she moved to Amsterdam, where she was employed at Loeff Claeys Verbeke (now Loyens & Loeff). In 1992, Böhler received a PhD in law from Albert-Ludwigs Universität: having written a thesis on the legal philosopher, "Gerhart Husserl: Leben und Werk" (Life and Work).