diff --git a/arrow-row/src/lib.rs b/arrow-row/src/lib.rs
index ac859e90e126..e496419ff842 100644
--- a/arrow-row/src/lib.rs
+++ b/arrow-row/src/lib.rs
@@ -1492,10 +1492,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![SortField::new_with_options(
             DataType::Boolean,
-            SortOptions {
-                descending: true,
-                nulls_first: false,
-            },
+            SortOptions::default().desc().with_nulls_first(false),
         )])
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -1613,10 +1610,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![SortField::new_with_options(
             DataType::Binary,
-            SortOptions {
-                descending: true,
-                nulls_first: false,
-            },
+            SortOptions::default().desc().with_nulls_first(false),
         )])
         .unwrap();
         let rows = converter.convert_columns(&[Arc::clone(&col)]).unwrap();
@@ -1695,10 +1689,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![SortField::new_with_options(
             a.data_type().clone(),
-            SortOptions {
-                descending: true,
-                nulls_first: false,
-            },
+            SortOptions::default().desc().with_nulls_first(false),
         )])
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -1713,10 +1704,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![SortField::new_with_options(
             a.data_type().clone(),
-            SortOptions {
-                descending: true,
-                nulls_first: true,
-            },
+            SortOptions::default().desc().with_nulls_first(true),
         )])
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -1889,10 +1877,7 @@ mod tests {
         back[0].to_data().validate_full().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(&back[0], &list);
 
-        let options = SortOptions {
-            descending: false,
-            nulls_first: false,
-        };
+        let options = SortOptions::default().asc().with_nulls_first(false);
         let field = SortField::new_with_options(d.clone(), options);
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![field]).unwrap();
         let rows = converter.convert_columns(&[Arc::clone(&list)]).unwrap();
@@ -1909,10 +1894,7 @@ mod tests {
         back[0].to_data().validate_full().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(&back[0], &list);
 
-        let options = SortOptions {
-            descending: true,
-            nulls_first: false,
-        };
+        let options = SortOptions::default().desc().with_nulls_first(false);
         let field = SortField::new_with_options(d.clone(), options);
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![field]).unwrap();
         let rows = converter.convert_columns(&[Arc::clone(&list)]).unwrap();
@@ -1929,10 +1911,7 @@ mod tests {
         back[0].to_data().validate_full().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(&back[0], &list);
 
-        let options = SortOptions {
-            descending: true,
-            nulls_first: true,
-        };
+        let options = SortOptions::default().desc().with_nulls_first(true);
         let field = SortField::new_with_options(d, options);
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![field]).unwrap();
         let rows = converter.convert_columns(&[Arc::clone(&list)]).unwrap();
@@ -1992,10 +1971,7 @@ mod tests {
         //   null
         //   [[1, 2]]
         // ]
-        let options = SortOptions {
-            descending: false,
-            nulls_first: true,
-        };
+        let options = SortOptions::default().asc().with_nulls_first(true);
         let field = SortField::new_with_options(d.clone(), options);
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![field]).unwrap();
         let rows = converter.convert_columns(&[Arc::clone(&list)]).unwrap();
@@ -2011,10 +1987,7 @@ mod tests {
         back[0].to_data().validate_full().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(&back[0], &list);
 
-        let options = SortOptions {
-            descending: true,
-            nulls_first: true,
-        };
+        let options = SortOptions::default().desc().with_nulls_first(true);
         let field = SortField::new_with_options(d.clone(), options);
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![field]).unwrap();
         let rows = converter.convert_columns(&[Arc::clone(&list)]).unwrap();
@@ -2030,10 +2003,7 @@ mod tests {
         back[0].to_data().validate_full().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(&back[0], &list);
 
-        let options = SortOptions {
-            descending: true,
-            nulls_first: false,
-        };
+        let options = SortOptions::default().desc().with_nulls_first(false);
         let field = SortField::new_with_options(d, options);
         let converter = RowConverter::new(vec![field]).unwrap();
         let rows = converter.convert_columns(&[Arc::clone(&list)]).unwrap();
diff --git a/arrow-schema/src/lib.rs b/arrow-schema/src/lib.rs
index d513ca7dd526..d06382fbcdf7 100644
--- a/arrow-schema/src/lib.rs
+++ b/arrow-schema/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 //! Arrow logical types
 
 mod datatype;
+
 pub use datatype::*;
+use std::fmt::Display;
 mod datatype_parse;
 mod error;
 pub use error::*;
@@ -35,6 +37,42 @@ use std::ops;
 pub mod ffi;
 
 /// Options that define the sort order of a given column
+///
+/// The default sorts equivalently to of `ASC NULLS FIRST` in SQL (i.e.
+/// ascending order with nulls sorting before any other values).
+///
+/// # Example creation
+/// ```
+/// # use arrow_schema::SortOptions;
+/// // configure using explicit initialization
+/// let options = SortOptions {
+///   descending: false,
+///   nulls_first: true,
+/// };
+/// // Default is ASC NULLs First
+/// assert_eq!(options, SortOptions::default());
+/// assert_eq!(options.to_string(), "ASC NULLS FIRST");
+///
+/// // Configure using builder APIs
+/// let options = SortOptions::default()
+///  .desc()
+///  .nulls_first();
+/// assert_eq!(options.to_string(), "DESC NULLS FIRST");
+///
+/// // configure using explicit field values
+/// let options = SortOptions::default()
+///  .with_descending(false)
+///  .with_nulls_first(false);
+/// assert_eq!(options.to_string(), "ASC NULLS LAST");
+/// ```
+///
+/// # Example operations
+/// It is also possible to negate the sort options using the `!` operator.
+/// ```
+/// use arrow_schema::SortOptions;
+/// let options = !SortOptions::default();
+/// assert_eq!(options.to_string(), "DESC NULLS LAST");
+/// ```
 #[derive(Clone, Hash, Copy, Debug, Eq, PartialEq, Ord, PartialOrd)]
 pub struct SortOptions {
     /// Whether to sort in descending order
@@ -43,6 +81,76 @@ pub struct SortOptions {
     pub nulls_first: bool,
 }
 
+impl Display for SortOptions {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        if self.descending {
+            write!(f, "DESC")?;
+        } else {
+            write!(f, "ASC")?;
+        }
+        if self.nulls_first {
+            write!(f, " NULLS FIRST")?;
+        } else {
+            write!(f, " NULLS LAST")?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl SortOptions {
+    /// Create a new `SortOptions` struct
+    pub fn new(descending: bool, nulls_first: bool) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            descending,
+            nulls_first,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Set this sort options to sort in descending order
+    ///
+    /// See [Self::with_descending] to explicitly set the underlying field
+    pub fn desc(mut self) -> Self {
+        self.descending = true;
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Set this sort options to sort in ascending order
+    ///
+    /// See [Self::with_descending] to explicitly set the underlying field
+    pub fn asc(mut self) -> Self {
+        self.descending = false;
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Set this sort options to sort nulls first
+    ///
+    /// See [Self::with_nulls_first] to explicitly set the underlying field
+    pub fn nulls_first(mut self) -> Self {
+        self.nulls_first = true;
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Set this sort options to sort nulls last
+    ///
+    /// See [Self::with_nulls_first] to explicitly set the underlying field
+    pub fn nulls_last(mut self) -> Self {
+        self.nulls_first = false;
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Set this sort options to sort descending if argument is true
+    pub fn with_descending(mut self, descending: bool) -> Self {
+        self.descending = descending;
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Set this sort options to sort nulls first if argument is true
+    pub fn with_nulls_first(mut self, nulls_first: bool) -> Self {
+        self.nulls_first = nulls_first;
+        self
+    }
+}
+
 impl Default for SortOptions {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {