How are state and federal appellate courts similar? both hear cases from lower courts. both have judges and juries. both hear civil cases only. both send cases to higher courts.

State and federal appellate courts are similar as both hear cases from lower courts.

Explanation:

The United States has two separate judicial systems: the federal judicial system and the state judicial system.

The United States Constitution authorized Congress to create a federal judicial system that is allowed to oversee cases of residents of different states and also cases that "arise" from the Constitution or federal laws. Any law or pact approved by Congress is considered a "federal law."

Apart from the federal judicial system, each state has its own state judicial system to decide on cases involving state residents and state laws. Each state judicial system has a different organization, but most have many courts of first instance, authorized to see all kinds of cases and then a higher court, whose opinions govern the other courts in matters of state law.

After the first instance courts, both in the federal and state level, appellate courts are competent to solve apellations from the lower courts.