The author reviews reasons for and outcomes of focusing on academic and public discourse in service-learning composition courses. This approach helps students address gaps between academic and public spheres regarding knowledge, values, and communication practices by writing research papers and then making public arguments to real audiences about that research. Service learning influences the students' orientation to their research, the genres they choose, and the public arguments they make about their research. Pedagogical justification for this approach is rooted in civic rhetoric. [David Stock]. [Rebecca Lorimer & David Stock, Service Learning Initiatives: Implementation and Administration; WPA-CompPile Research Bibliographies, No. 13].