The Republican and Democratic national conventions in the United States are known as much for their nonstop parties as they are for their politics, a time for lobbyists, politicians and corporate executives to gather at lavish receptions and elegant dinners.

But this year, members of Congress attending the Democrats' convention in Denver next week and the Republicans' gathering in St. Paul, Minnesota, in September are facing a more down-market prospect: bare-bones receptions where food eaten with forks has given way to finger food, where chairs have been removed and where meatballs may be served but not something heartier, like a hamburger.

And if the lawmakers want to listen to brand-name musical entertainment, they are going to have to reach into their own pockets. For a corporate event featuring the Beach Boys at the Republican National Convention, $25 is being collected in advance, and the same is true for a party featuring the disco group K.C. and the Sunshine Band.

Corporations and convention party planners are scrambling to comply with a sweeping new ethics law that prohibits lobbyists from paying for gifts, including meals and music, for members of Congress and their staffs.

The law, enacted last year, also outlaws parties financed by lobbyists to honor elected officials. In years past, these parties were a centerpiece of convention entertaining and were seen as a way for corporations to curry favor with lawmakers.

But, in place of the old rules, confusion over what is legal has taken center stage.

Corporate lobbyists are spending as much time talking to their lawyers as to event planners to figure out how to put on a party without running afoul of the law. And party planners are trying to come up with innovative ways of providing protein to hungry conventioneers without crossing the line into an actual meal. Some lobbying groups have become so exasperated with the new rules that they have canceled events.

"Trying to navigate these new rules is like trying to shoot the rapids of the Colorado River," said Kenneth Gross, a Washington campaign finance lawyer who advises corporations and lobbyists.

There will, of course, be plenty of parties, particularly at the Democratic convention, which will be a four-day festival of concerts with stars like Kanye West and Tony Bennett and a Hollywood extravaganza. While more modest in scale, the Republican convention will include jazz brunches, country music concerts and any number of hospitality suites.

A list complied by the Sunlight Foundation, a private congressional watchdog, based on information collected by Quinn Gillespie & Associates, a lobbying firm, shows that there will be at least 370 parties at the two conventions, many sponsored by trade associations, lobbying firms and major corporations like Anheuser- Busch, AT&T, Bank of America, Citigroup and Eli Lilly.

As with many measures passed by Congress - especially those directly affecting the members themselves - the new ethics law is byzantine.

Depending on the circumstances, breakfasts are limited to bagels, rolls and croissants, while proteins like eggs are prohibited. What is more, rules differ for events that are deemed to be "widely attended" - that is, with more than 25 diverse attendees but not a ballgame or a concert.

"It drives the lawyers crazy to give advice," said Jan Baran, a campaign finance expert at Wiley Rein, a Washington law firm. 'We are having to decide if a group is a cover band, a string quartet or a name band."

Members of Congress cannot be singled out to be honored at events, but their state delegation, including them, can be honored. And the rules can vary for House and Senate members; senators can be "featured speakers" at events, while House members cannot. Meals, tickets to events and entertainment cannot be paid for by lobbyists, though those gifts can be accepted if provided by the host city or if part of a fund-raising event sponsored by the parties themselves.

"Everyone is tearing out their hair because they don't want to make a mistake," said Carolyn Peachey, a Washington events planner who is organizing parties at both conventions. "There is page after page after page of what you can and cannot do. People want to be careful."

Originally published by The New York Times Media Group.

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