​The Circuit Court of Cook County oversees marriage and civil union ceremonies, over which court judges preside. Couples must apply for and obtain a marriage license before the wedding in Chicago or Cook County’s suburbs from the Cook County Clerk's office.

Couples can visit one of six locations. They must present their valid IDs and proof of age, fill out the marriage license applications, and pay a fee in person. Divorcees must furnish their finalized divorce date. If they finalized the divorce within the past half year, they must also provide a certified copy of the decree. Since 2014, same-sex couples may also file marriage license applications, and the court will wed them.

Issued while couples wait, marriage licenses become effective the next calendar day and remain valid for 60 days. Court ceremonies for Chicago couples take place in-person and virtually via Zoom, which requires no prior scheduling. They take place each Wednesday at the central court location at 119 W. Randolph St., from 9 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm.

​Since 1983, the National Hellenic Museum (NHM) has been striving to “preserve the stories and honor the contributions” of Americans with Greek heritage. It houses extensive archives and artifacts in its 40,000-square-foot headquarters on Halsted Street in Chicago.

On April 17, 2024, the NHM presented The Trial of Pericles at Chicago’s Harris Theater. Over the course of about two hours, this live performance took the form of a courtroom trail of Pericles, an Athenian who fought heroically for democracy in Ancient Greece. He faced severe criticism in 451 BC for introducing a constitutional amendment that revoked Athenian citizenship for anyone without two Athenian parents in a move that many regarded as tyrannical.

The NHM performance placed Pericles on trial before an active jury comprised of 12 prominent legal professionals. Retired judge Paul C. Lillios played the role of Pericles, and current judge Megan Goldish played the role of Olympia. The judges in the trial were Anna Helen Demacopoulos, Anthony C. Kyriakopoulos, and Lindsay C. Jenkins. Remarkably, the jury found Pericles guilty of tyranny.