diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/arrow_schema_test.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/arrow_schema_test.cc
index a6e04e54259c9..535efa0c8e5de 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/arrow_schema_test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/arrow_schema_test.cc
@@ -832,6 +832,27 @@ TEST_F(TestConvertParquetSchema, IllegalParquetNestedSchema) {
         Invalid, testing::HasSubstr("LIST-annotated groups must not be repeated."),
         ConvertSchema(parquet_fields));
   }
+  // List<List<>>: outer list is two-level encoding, inner list is empty.
+  //
+  // optional group my_list (LIST) {
+  //   repeated group array (LIST) {
+  //     repeated group list {
+  //     }
+  //   }
+  // }
+  {
+    auto list = GroupNode::Make("list", Repetition::REPEATED, {});
+    auto array =
+        GroupNode::Make("array", Repetition::REPEATED, {list}, ConvertedType::LIST);
+    std::vector<NodePtr> parquet_fields;
+    parquet_fields.push_back(
+        GroupNode::Make("my_list", Repetition::OPTIONAL, {array}, ConvertedType::LIST));
+
+    EXPECT_RAISES_WITH_MESSAGE_THAT(
+        Invalid,
+        testing::HasSubstr("LIST-annotated groups must have at least one child."),
+        ConvertSchema(parquet_fields));
+  }
 }
 
 Status ArrowSchemaToParquetMetadata(std::shared_ptr<::arrow::Schema>& arrow_schema,
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/schema.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/schema.cc
index c19e2b9e48bb3..d94c73452c44d 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/schema.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/schema.cc
@@ -676,9 +676,14 @@ Status ListToSchemaField(const GroupNode& group, LevelInfo current_levels,
           return Status::Invalid("Group with one repeated child must be LIST-annotated.");
         }
         // LIST-annotated group with three-level encoding cannot be repeated.
-        if (repeated_field->is_group() &&
-            !static_cast<const GroupNode&>(*repeated_field).field(0)->is_repeated()) {
-          return Status::Invalid("LIST-annotated groups must not be repeated.");
+        if (repeated_field->is_group()) {
+          auto& repeated_group_field = static_cast<const GroupNode&>(*repeated_field);
+          if (repeated_group_field.field_count() == 0) {
+            return Status::Invalid("LIST-annotated groups must have at least one child.");
+          }
+          if (!repeated_group_field.field(0)->is_repeated()) {
+            return Status::Invalid("LIST-annotated groups must not be repeated.");
+          }
         }
         RETURN_NOT_OK(
             NodeToSchemaField(*repeated_field, current_levels, ctx, out, child_field));