As much of a surefire hit as any new series can be, Law & Order: Los Angeles will receive an added boost this fall when Mariska Hargitay guest stars on an episode.

The SVU actress will crossover and visit Los Angeles on a case "about the backlog of untested rape kits," she told E! News, expounding on a cause near to her heart in real life.

"It's something people don't know about," Hargitay said. "After a woman's been raped and goes through a four- to six-hour very traumatizing and invasive procedure you would expect it gets tested.

"But often times, most of the times, they sit on a shelf in a police facility. It's something my foundation is trying to change, to eradicate the backlog."

Seriously, who out there does not love Mariska Hargitay?!? NBC has not announced an air date for this episode, but we'll keep readers updated.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.